{"id":1489,"date":"2010-06-04T05:23:16","date_gmt":"2010-06-04T10:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sipotd.wordpress.com\/2010\/06\/04\/642010\/"},"modified":"2010-06-04T05:23:16","modified_gmt":"2010-06-04T10:23:16","slug":"642010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=1489","title":{"rendered":"6\/4\/2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Bobolink<\/h4>\n

For some reason, the Bobolink has been a digiscoping jinx bird for me. Every year I try for new shots at Laudholm Farm, just down the road from us, where they are abundant and very visible during courting season in the spring. I tried two years in a row in North Dakota where they are also abundant. And I have nothing to show for it\u2026or at least, nothing I am willing to show to others. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

So, this year, I gottem! Or at least I got my best shots yet. <\/p>\n

Even then, this is still a very hard bird to photograph. White on black is always a hard exposure problem, and the fine-fur like structure of the head feathers is a real challenge to capture effectively. And when they are visible in courtship, they are always moving. After courtship they simply disappear. I have never seen a Bobolink that was not courting or being courted. Maybe I am just not looking hard enough.<\/p>\n

Canon SD1400IS behind the eyepiece of a Zeiss Diascope 65FL for an equivalent focal length of about 3500mm. Exif f5.0 @ 1\/160th @ ISO 80. Computed f-stop, considering the spotting scope, f9.6.<\/p>\n

In Lightroom, some Recovery for the highlights, a touch of Fill Light to open the black plumage, and then a bit of Blackpoint right to intensify the colors. Adde Clarity and just a bit of Vibrance. Sharpen landscape preset.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And, though the light on this video is not what I would like (got to leave some challenge for next year), it does showcase the song!<\/p>\n

\n