Grey-headed gull

During a recent visit to Mossel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa we were treating ourselfs to the glory of nature and just watching our spectacular coastline and...
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During a recent visit to Mossel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa we were treating ourselfs to the glory of nature and just watching our spectacular coastline and sea birds. A few gulls were going about doing what they do best and I tried to do the same. This photo is cropped and the lighting slightly adjusted. (BJE_9966_Grey-headed gull)
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Canon EOS 7D Mark II

settings

Aperture f/7.1 ISO 100 Shutter 1/3200 Focal Length 283/1

upload_date

May, 2017

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+24

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how are you getting your shots so crisp? i am still struggling to achieve that perfect detail

PRO

Hi iKatielyn. I'm using the Sigma 150-600mm C lens on my Canon 7D mark II. The ISO setting is almost always on auto. Then on manual I set the f-stop or Aperture (Av) to around f7.1 as in this case. If you want to blur the back ground even more, open the aperture up to f5. I use a very fast shutter speed (1/3200th of a second) or faster to minimise any camera shake (for handheld shots). Check that the optical stabiliser is activated for both horisontal and vertical shake. (Switch it off when you use a tripod!!). Check the lenses auto focus setting as well. for this type of shot I use the center focus. Short burst in continuous mode will help to select the best one. Be careful when pressing the shutter release. On most camera makes your gently press the shutter release to get the focus and then continue to gently press down for the short burst, say about 5 - 10 shots and release again. At least one image (but most likely more) should be in sharp focus. If using a tripod you can also use the mirror lock up function to increase sharpness. I've been very jealous of other photographers who's published images were always "PERFECT". Getting to know your equipment inside out and with lots of practice you will succeed as well. Happy shooting :-))