We have liftoff!!!

Garth Smith

We have liftoff!!!

The final running jump and the first flap of true flight captured and reflected.
In retrospect I should have used ISO 400 or 800 allowing 1/1000th or 1/2000th of a second.

Nikon D40
Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens @ 200mm
ISO 200
1/500th of a second
F/5.6

featured in Natural Colour & Light 8th February 2009 & 8th November 2009
featured in Natures Wonders 8th February 2009
featured in Going Coastal 16th February 2009
featured in Nikon D40X users group 8th November 2009
featured in Light & Reflection group 19th November 2009

Top Ten in the Light & Reflection Groups’ Reflections in Blue Challenge 18th November 2009

We have liftoff!!! belongs to the following groups:

**FOCUS and LIGHTING**, All Countries ~ Wetlands, Ponds, Lakes and Rivers, Australia! You're Standing In it...., Australian Contemporary Photography, Australian Landmarks and Icons, Australian Travel Photography and Writing - 1 per 24hrs, Birds and Creatures of Flight, Colour and light, Creative, Talented, and Unknown, Day Hikes , Dimensions, DSLR Users Only - 1/24 - Camera & Lens In Description Please., Going Coastal (2 art per day), I Love Birds, Just Pure Nature., Landscape Photography, Light and Reflection 1/24, Nature's Wonders, Nikon D40(x) Users, Nikon DSLR Users Group - 2 uploads per 24 hours, Out of the Blue (75%+ Blue), Pelicans, Scenery, Shadows & Reflections, Tasmania, The Ashes - Australia vs England - 2 per day, The Beauty of Nature (Nothing Man-Made), The Birds, The Male Photographer, The true beauty and Vibrant and Vivid Color Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints
We have liftoff!!! by Garth Smith
We have liftoff!!! by Garth Smith
  • Kurt Golgart

    Kurt Golgart

    Magnificent timing and composition. Beautiful!

  • Garth Smith replied

    I’d love to be able to take credit but the composition was cropped after the fact and the timing was shutter held down 3.5 frames per second with an unexplained pause in one spot as the buffer filled I presume. 2 good shots out of the 5. This is one.

  • Corey Bigler

    Corey Bigler

    Amazing capture!!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Corey, sometimes you get a bit lucky.

  • Kurt Golgart

    Kurt Golgart

    Luck favors those who plan. You planned to hold the shutter down… in hopes of getting the shot. You used the right focal length so that you could crop after the fact… hmmmm, luck? Most excellent luck I say.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Kurt. Its quite funny actually. Someone else tried to say a few weeks back that they got a good shot by luck and I gave them a similar line to what you just gave me.

  • Liz Percival

    Liz Percival

    Fantastic capture – well done.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Liz

  • David Murphy

    David Murphy

    Bloody lucky, I reckon!!
    Lucky Karen stayed home to mow the lawns….
    lucky the kids weeded the garden…..
    lucky the dogs went for a walk on their own….....
    etc etc ….......
    and then, bloody lucky that the pelicans were there at all!!

    (guess who is jealous, and knows a good shot when he sees one….....??)

  • Garth Smith replied

    Well what can I say Murph? You have me cold! But the lawn is only 3 acres and the bracken fern in the garden is almost gone.

  • Vicki Ferrari

    Vicki Ferrari

    I think the sputter of movement in the water adds to the effect of the photo! Look at how you captured those upturned wings! Good capture and photography! Beautiful blue, did you use a polariser?

    (And I think that your lucky that the D40 is faster (focus and shooting) at responding than a D70 :)))

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Vicki. Yes, its taken through a polariser. I basically use a polariser 90% of the time. For this image I turned it around to “off” to capture the maximum reflections.

  • Heath Holden

    Heath Holden

    Better I think at your 1/500th as you have movement at the wingtips sir!

  • Heath Holden

    Heath Holden

    I think luck is an excuse for those who WISH they took the shot! Ha!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thanks Heath, also thank you for not mentioning that you have a very very similar shot that is a little better than mine

  • monaiman

    monaiman

    wow amazing capture !!! right timing ;)

  • Garth Smith replied

    thank you monaiman

  • talindsey

    talindsey

    LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Garth Smith replied

    I am glad that you like it talindsey

  • Steve Scully

    Steve Scully

    Nice one Garth, I think large birds in flight are one of my favorite subjects

  • Garth Smith replied

    Yes they are great arent they Steve.

  • Steven Joyce

    Steven Joyce

    Awesome shot Garth!!

  • Garth Smith replied

    thanks Steven

  • windwalker

    windwalker

    absolutely stunning garth, an instant fav

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you windwalker for the fave and glad you like it.

  • Rainy

    Rainy

    Congratulations!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you very much Rainy. The recognition is much appreciated.

  • Meike

    Meike

    Awe.. phantastic capture!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Meike

  • Malcolm Chant

    Malcolm Chant

    WELL you got it in the end, & what a Splendid Capture it is.

    Stunning shot.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you mrcoradour

  • FelicityB

    FelicityB

    Congratulations on a wonderful shot!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you felicity

  • Vicki Ferrari

    Vicki Ferrari

    Congrats on your feature Garth!

  • Garth Smith replied

    thank you for your kind thoughts vicki

  • CraigsMom

    CraigsMom

    Congratulations on your feature!!! Mary-Ann

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Mary-ann

  • E.R. Bazor

    E.R. Bazor

    Wonderful capture!
    Congratulations on the Feature!

  • Garth Smith replied

    thank you E.R.Bazor

  • Carol Barona

    Carol Barona

    Wow, this is stunning! What a wonderful capture!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thanks Carol.

  • Gareth Bowell

    Gareth Bowell

    This is brilliant, timing and composition just spot on. Great work!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Gareth

  • Temma

    Temma

    All of the above.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thanks

  • lcbirder

    lcbirder

    This is still a great capture despite you iso settings. Congrats!!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Icbirder

  • Lesley S

    Lesley S

    This is fantastic!!! Beautiful shot! Congrats on your feature!

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Lesley

  • E.R. Bazor

    E.R. Bazor

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you E.R.Bazor

  • phillip wise

    phillip wise

    a fantastic as is shot garth with no computer fiddling around with

  • phillip wise

    phillip wise

    best veiwed large i think with great reflections and i think it would look great in a exhibition

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thanks Phil.

  • tasadam

    tasadam

    Hah! I was wondering what Heath thought of it… (chuckle)
    Great shot Garth.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thanks Adam

  • Rebecca Cozart

    Rebecca Cozart

    Right place right time. Nice one.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Rebecca, skulking around in the reeds playing commandos pays off LOL

  • Andrew Murrell

    Andrew Murrell

    Great timing with Mr Percevil. Grace in action

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Andrew

  • dkleing

    dkleing

    Great shot just wonderful.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thanks for your comments dkleing

  • Cee Neuner

    Cee Neuner

    Wonderful. I love the colors. Perfect.

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you very much Cee, glad you like it.

  • Tempe

    Tempe

    nice, i like it,, accepted

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you very much Tempe

  • David Silsbury

    David Silsbury

    Great composition Garth, well done and congratulations on your features.
    David

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you very much David

  • WingsOfAngelz

    WingsOfAngelz

    Excellent Capture!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FEATURE in Nikon D40 Users Group

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you very much WingsOfAngelz, very much appreciated.

  • janfoster

    janfoster

    fantasic capture and congrats on the feature too : )

  • Garth Smith replied

    Thank you Jan

  • Tempe

    Tempe

    well done on making it to the top ten in the challenge reflections in blue from the LIGHT AND REFLECTION GROUP.

  • Garth Smith replied 28 days ago

    Thank you very much Tempe, much appreciated

  • Naleen Senevirathne

    Naleen Senevir... 28 days ago

    fantastic capture. Great timing and freezing. Well done.

  • Garth Smith replied 28 days ago

    Thank you Naleen

  • Sabrina Ricci Pacifici

    Sabrina Ricci ... 28 days ago

    Beautiful…..

  • Garth Smith replied 22 days ago

    Thank you very much Sabrina, sorry I missed your comment til now.

  • Strolch

    Strolch 23 days ago

    Incredible ;))!

  • Garth Smith replied 22 days ago

    Thank you very much Strolch

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