In the Field

Sublime Beauty - Backlit Tree Swallow. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 4, 2008.

In a recent commentary about another Tree Swallow image I made the comment that I would be "...thinking twice before "automatically" adding flash-fill to a high-contrast, high-dynamic range scene". Since then I've received a few emails asking me when I would use it. Well, here is one example where I chose to subtly fill with flash. In this case I knew (from previous experience) that this Tree Swallow's shoulder (or median coverts in bird speak) would absolutely glow with a light flash fill. I also wanted to bring out some detail in the bird's long wing feathers (the primaries). And, last but not least, I wanted to draw out some detail on the bird's left eye (right side of image) - without fill this eye would have been completely lost in the shadows. When I shot this image the bird was strongly backlit - the sun was about 30 degrees above the horizon, and there was slight top-lighting as well, as is shown by the few glowing feathers on the top of the bird's head and the light on the top of the bill.

Does this image accurately reflect what I saw in the field? Nope, not at all. If I had foregone the flash-fill I could have produced a more accurate reflection of reality. But my goal here was not to replicate nature. My goal was to produce an image that I judged to be as aesthically pleasing as possible. Personally (and I rarely say this about my own images), I quite like the image!

Behind the Camera

Sublime Beauty - Backlit Tree Swallow. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 4, 2008.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) 14-bit format; ISO 400.

Nikon D3 with Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 400 mm supported on Gitzo 1348 carbon fibre tripod with Wimberley head. SB-800 flash (fill) mounted on Really Right Stuff flash bracket. VR turned to "On" and in "Normal" mode.

1/125s @ f10; -1.0 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting; balanced i-TTL flash exposure with -1.0 stop compensation on SB-800.

At the Computer

Sublime Beauty - Backlit Tree Swallow. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 4, 2008.

RAW Conversion to 16 bit TIFF, including first-pass/capture sharpening, exposure compensation, and slight shadow/highlight adjustment using Phase One's Capture One 4. Multiple RAW conversions (3 at different exposure settings: -0.5 stops; +0.5 stops; +1.0 stops) in this case to both retrieve highlight detail in the bird's lower back and retrieve shadow detail on the bird's breast and left side of head (right side as you look at the image).

Further digital correction on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS3. Adjustments included compositing and masking of all exposure versions. Other Photoshop adjustments included selective curves adjustment and selective sharpening for web output.

Conservation

Sublime Beauty - Backlit Tree Swallow. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 4, 2008.

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

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 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. While Tree Swallows are not directly threatened in the Columbia Valley, they do, of course, need appropriate habitat in order to continue to thrive. 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.

*The Raincoast Conservation Society (and Foundation) is an effective and efficient organization that has been fighting for protection of one of the most biologically significant regions of British Columbia - the wild BC coast. If you are looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the conservation of this amazing ecosystem, Raincoast will provide maximal "bang" for your conservation dollars.

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