In the Field

First Stretch of Day. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 25, 2005.

In some respects, we're not all that different from birds. What's the first thing you do in the morning? Well...just as the first light of the day struck this male Tree Swallow he decided it was just the right time to stretch out the old wings.

This image wasn't too difficult to capture, but there were a few challenges to deal with. To begin with, this was the type of scene where it would have been extremely easy to over-expose the highlights in the subject. So, I chose to under-expose the image (relative to the light meter's recommended exposure).

Next, the sun was just rising over the horizon and the Tree Swallow was very strongly side-lit - so much so that I had to use a flash-fill to retrieve a little of the shadow detail. When using a flash to fill-in shadow detail in a situation like this you have to be careful not to add too much artificial light or the scene will look contrived. Shadows SHOULD be darker than the highlights and if all shadows are removed the subject will look (even to an untrained eye) somehow unnatural. Modern automatic balanced flash systems like Nikon's i-TTL system work great, but there are times (like in this image) where you have to under-expose the fill.

Behind the Camera

First Stretch of Day. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 25, 2005.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) format; ISO 100.

Nikon D2X with Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 400 mm (600 mm equivalent with digital conversion factor) supported on Gitzo 1348 carbon fibre tripod with Wimberley head; SB-800 flash (fill) with Better Beamer Flash Extender mounted on Really Right Stuff flash bracket. VR turned to "On" and in "Normal" mode.

1/500s @ f4; -1.0 stop exposure compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting; balanced i-TTL flash exposure with -0.67 stop compensation on SB-800.

At the Computer

First Stretch of Day. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 25, 2005.

RAW Conversion, including first-pass sharpening, exposure compensation, and tone curve adjustment, using Phase One's C1 Pro. Multiple RAW conversions (2 at different exposure settings) to extend dynamic range of captured image, in this case primarily to restore shadow detail on shaded portions of bird (entire back portion of the bird).

All further digital correction on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS, including compositing and masking of various exposure versions, selective saturation enhancement, and selective sharpening for web output.

Conservation

First Stretch of Day. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 25, 2005.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Wildsight.

Species Status in Canada*: This species is not designated as at risk.

The Tree Swallow (Tacycineta bicolor) is a common insect-eating aerobatic specialist found across much of North America. Tree Swallows nest in abandoned cavities in trees or in nest boxes provided for them by humans. The breeding range of the Tree Swallow is expanding southward and overall their populations appear to be increasing.

This male Tree Swallow was photographed in the Columbia Valley of the East Kootenays. While this species is not considered at risk in any way, many ecosystems within the Columbia Valley face development pressure. Wildsight is an effective conservation organization that protects biodiversity and promotes sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Support for Wildsight, through donation or becoming a member, will help ensure that they remain effective in their efforts to conserve threatened or endangered species and ecosystems.

*as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada