Island Pony. (larger view available)

After reading about concerns ref: Hand held shots with the D800 I

decided to give it a go myself.

 

Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Thank You.

Alf, is this a montage? If not, I am deeply impressed. The image would probably also work without the horse, but including it gives an outstanding composition!!

Hi Alf. Hope you have been keeping well. I'm back for a while! Have been pretty busy of late so not much time for photography. Wonderful capture of my favourite past time - horses/ponies. The composition works so well and the capture of the pony gives the image depth.

Very well thought out and the B/W processing beautifully!

Best wishes. Sarah.

Alf.......Excellent detail in this B/W. The soft lighting and tones gives it a 3 dimensional effect. Well done. Regards, Bob.

Hi Alf,

You need to exercise caution about what is printed on the internet and in forums.

All camera and lens can be used at their optimal levels by hand holding them.

I show this often in my work.

It simply requires one to become familiar with the setup, exercise patience and engaging in much practice with your investment.

This is a superb image , technically well executed and presented in an excellent way.

Best Regards my friend,

Mike

Excellent detail, you can count the hairs on that pony's coat! Enjoy the new camera.

Regards, Tibi

Nice one Alf, that takes care of the concerns then.

Regards

Gareth.

Such a wonderful photo! The pony is not only there standing still but the position of the front leg indicates that this pony is making its stride and that makes this photo very dynamic. The chosen composition gives also an excellent perspective of the whole landscape. Congratulations, Alf.

I'm not a technophile and I think I understand the seemingly counterintuitive idea that a D800, because of it's fine detail, can actually blur when hand held.  It's nice to see that it's not an absolute.  This is a beautiful shot and I like your decision to go with b/w.  This little guy looks tough and rugged, and more cautious than friendly (ears laid back, head low, eyes right on that suspicious black box).  Excellent presentation...  Mike

Fine capture,with a fine tones too,and if you have have just lower the perspective through lowering the camera few cm's, the horizontal line of the horizon would be a way from the flat back of the pony ,which is better (IMUO) for this pony photo.

Alf,

  Wow...beautiful b/w capture with excellent details & background.  Take care, Patsy

I am afraid my technical abilities fall way short of yours, and I simply wouldn't know how to create a montage.  I followed this guy around for about 40 minutes before I found a poisiton where I could take a shot with the sea in the background. He had his head down munching on the grass, and when I called him, he came lurching towards me quite fast. Thankfully he was very friendly.

Many Thanks for your thoughts and encouraging words Alexander.

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

SARAH

 

Good to hear from you, I'm fine thank you and I hope you are keeping well also.

These ponies roam around the island wild, but unusually this one was very friendly and let me get close enough to pat him.  There were three of them but they spread out so I couldn't get the group together.

It's a great location, and if you ever get to North Wales it well worth a visit.

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Sarah.

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

BOB

 

I am forever singing the praises of Nik Silver Efex software, but it does have some great features and makes processing B & W so much easier and effective.

Sincere Thanks for your feedback Bob, much appreciated!

Alf

 

 

MIKE P

 

You are right, and it is with that thought in mind that I decided to find out for myself.  I don't pretend to be the best when it comes to hand holding shots, but there are times when it can't be avoided, particularly in cases like this when the subject is constantly moving.

I have implemented the tips that you kindly provided, and it seemed to work well. I'm not sure how proficient I'd be at slower shutter speeds, but as you say, "practice is the key"

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback.

 

 

Best Regards & Happy Easter to yourself & Betsy

 

Alf

 

 

TIBI

Many Thanks for your thoughts and kind words. I think the detail is more obvious because of the Nik Siver Efex software, it certain seems to accentuate it.

Cheers Tibi

 

Alf

 

GARETH

 

Many Thanks! Yeah, I guess the D800 is no different than any other camera, in the respect that if it moves you get a blurry image.

Cheers Gareth!

 

Alf

 

 

LESTER

 

Sincere Thanks for your observations and positive feedback.

The pony was indeed making its stride, and right towards me in quite a hurry. He had been muching grass with his head down and eventually moved towards the headland with a view of the sea, and I wanted to attract his attention , so I called and then whistled and he swung his head around and started towards me as I took the shot. He was very friendly and just wanted to nibble my backpack : - )

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

MIKE M

 

I think I understand the theory too, I think the words "unforgiving" have been used to describe it.  Of course the blur might be present if there is movement when using another camera, just that it would appear more obvious with the D800. The trick is to prevent the movement, and / or increase the shutter speed to a point that supercedes any hand movement. I'm not quite sure how I would have fared with a slower shutter speed.

These little guys roam wild all over the island, and most of them are quite timid. This one however was quite bold and when I called him to get hsi head up for the shot, he swung towards me at quite a pace, fortunately he was more friendly than he seemed, and just wanted to nibble my backpack and clothing.

Sincere Thanks for your observations and thoughtful feedback.

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

SAAD

 

 

Many Thanks for your thoughts and invaluable observations, much appreciated!

The shot was taken very quickly after I called the horse and he started towards me quite suddenly, but yes I do see what you mean, a slightly lower perspective would have been preferable.

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

PATSY

 

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words. It was a day when there wasn't much colour in the landscape, so I turned my attention to the horses.

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

 

 

 

 

LOL, so much for my understanding of horse behavior... Maybe I was in "dog mode". Regardless, a superb capture...  Mike

That's a powerful image, Alf. It has a kind of allegorical feeling to it that I like very much. It seems to be rather more than a simple picture of a horse; there's something of the symbolic about it.

A great shot. Handheld shots are very difficult to get an acceptable details from, and this one is really good with painterly details in head and neck areas, as well as very excellent bw conversion. I like also the backdrop scene, which imparts a calm and silent atmosphere. Bravo.

My best regards,

Hamid.

Beautifully composed picture, Alf! Well handled too. I am glad you included this beautiful animal into your picture - it is always refreshing, right? You really did it with great skills. Warm regards, Tamara

Eye catching composition, well seen as B&W type of presentation!

Best regards Alf!

 

PDE

I can't imagine what the deep concerns are regarding hand holding your camera.  With 1\250 sec. and a 24mm lens on a full frame camera the chances that camera shake would affect the image too much are minimal.  Hand holding is necessary in situations as fluid as this so I think you aced the challenge.  I can offer nothing in the way of a critique but I do like the composition and the B&W presentation.  The pony's right front hoof provides the gesture that Jay Maisel is so fond of, imparting an element of movement or dynamism to the scene.  I have no problem visualizing this one on the wall @ 20" x 30" plus  frame.  Best, LM.

Lovely mono shot! Love the textures and tones. Very nice indeed. Pat.

Maybe the horse has dog companions that are highly influential : - )

Cheers Mate!

 

Alf

 

JACK

Llanddwyn Island where this little guy resides is steeped in history, and your perception of a symbolic figure, could be spot on.

"The name LLanddwyn means = The Church of St Dwynwen. She is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, making her the the Welsh equivalent to St, Valentine. Her feast day 25 January, is often celebrated by the Welsh with cards and flowers just as Feb 14th is for St Valentine.

 

Dwynwen lived during the 5th Century AD and was one of 24 Daughters (Yes Twenty Four they didn't have TV's in those days) of St Brychan, a Welsh Prince of Brycheiniog (Brecon)  She fell in love with a young man named Maelon, but rejected his advances, there are different versions of of the stroy of why this was the case.  After a somewhat unhappy love life Dwynwen retreated to the solitude of Llannwyn Island to follow the life of a recluse and hermit.  Thats the shortened version : - )

So the pony could indeed be symbolic, albeit in a passive way.

 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

 

 

Alf

 

HAMID

 

I don't often chance hand held shots, but in this case the situation required it, and it gave me a chance to see if there was any grounds for concerns I'd read about regarding the feasibility of hand held shots with the D800.

I quite liked the backdrop too, it allows the viewer to get an insight into the environment.

Many Thanks for your thoughts and kind words Hamid.

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

TAMARA

 

I was very fortunate that the horse looked up and started towards me as I called it. (they usually ignore me) it gave me a chance to take the shot with some of the coast in the background. Yes it is always refreshing to combine animal and landscape.

Sincere Thanks for your thougts and positive feedback, much appreciated!

 

Alf

 

GRIGORIY

 

Thank You so much, I appreciate your interest and thoughtful feedback

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

PIERRE

 

I'm getting addicted to B & W, I'm even starting to dream in B & W ..........I think a B & W TV is the next thing for me : - )

 

Cheers Pierre!

 

Alf

 

LEN

 

It all started when I was reading forums that stated things like "The D800 36.3 MP sensor would be unforgiving when there is any evidence of camera shake"

 

This is something that I thought would be obvious with any camera / sensor. But I think the gist of it was that the camera is able to record fine detail and therefore able to detect any tiny movement.

My reasoning was that if I eliminated any detectable movement then there could be no consequential blur, and the shutter speed you quite rightly quoted seemed to do the trick.

I sometimes think that small problems can be a bit over dramatised in forums. Although that beind said, they do serve a very useful purpose too.

Hmmm I hadn't thought about getting this one printed &  framed..........but now you mention it : - )

Sincere Thanks for your thoughtful feedback Len, much appreciated!

 

Best Regards

 

Alf

 

PAT

 

I'm using that "Nik Silver Efex" again..........I think I'm getting addicted to it : - )

 

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words.

 

Alf

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would swear it's one of the Stone Roses.

 

Great pic.   best, j

Great B&W photo!

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As usual, another amzing image, Alf.  It is certainly a great B/W but I wonder about the color (or colour?) version.  I suspect it is also superb.  Interesting to hear more positive comments about Nik Silver Efex.  I have heard many great things about it.  How intense is the learning curve ?   I have read the previous comments regarding the D800 (congrats BTW) on hand held shots and am somewhat confused.  I don't understand how an improvement in detail can present an issue that can't easily be worked around by increasing shutter speed.  I guess one exception might be a time exposure of moving water for example when you need to keep the detail in the stationary subjects while allowing the water to flow in a blur.   I will be interested in seeing how this plays out even though I will probably remain with the D90 for awhile.   Once again, thanks for sharing, Alf.  We all enjoy your images.

 

Cheers...

 

Jerry

Stunning shot!  Bravo Alf,  I do not have anything more to add to the already beautidul comments you have received...keep your excellent photos coming!  Cheers!