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	<title>The Maven - photoblog</title>
	<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com" />
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	<author>
		<name>Duane Bong</name>
	</author>
	<id>http://duane.shutterchance.com/</id>
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	<updated>2008-08-04T00:05:01Z</updated>
	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Smug Cormorant
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/175077.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				A portrait of a Cormorant taken at the World of Birds in Cape Town, South Africa. He's a smug little fella with a proud pose. I'm not sure exactly which species this is - I suspect a Great Cormorant, but if you can ID this bird, I'd be glad to hear from you! The World of Birds is a wild life sanctuary with a few thousand birds - simply huge! One could easily spend a whole day here, though the guide books usually ask for only 1-2 hours. If you love birds, do budget a lot more time for this wonderful place (I recommend at least half a day!). This photo was taken using the Canon 5D and 100-400L. Photo shooting at the World of Birds can be tricky, for even with the strong African sun some of the aviaries are quite dim. The image stabiliser of the 100-400L definately came in very handy here.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-08-04T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:585e8d6e108d44ee0303463ba7fb023e</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Damselfly
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/147932.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Macro and My Full Frame Experience - Part 4 Macro shot of a damselfly (zygoptera) taken in the Singapore Botanical Gardens. These tiny insects measure about 4cm in length, and are usually found skimming the surface of ponds. They actually start off their life as eggs which hatch into nymphs underwater. In my previous posts, the shots I posted all played to the advantage of the Canon EOS 5D's full frame sensor. However, there are a number of situations when a cropped sensor had the upper hand. Macro shots are one of them, as the crop factor helps tiny subjects to fill up the frame. With a full frame sensor, you do need to get closer to the subject - not an easy feat with jumpy insects! Unfortunately, the closer you get, the narrower the depth of field. To get the whole damselfly in focus in this scene, I had to stop down the lens aperture to f/16 (all you need to do is breathe and it goes out of focus!). This cuts down the light entering the lens so much that, despite it being a sunny day, ISO1000 was required to get an acceptable shutterspeed. Having said that, it's still possible to get a decent macro shot with the full frame 5D (the lenses might even make more sense - 100mm for setup shots and 180mm for insects). However, after this photoshoot, I came away with the feeling that a cropped sensor camera is the better tool for macro photography. The advantages of reach and wider depth of field are simply hard to ignore.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-03-22T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:999980a8ca2276cb2d5aa7e059129723</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Catedral de Granada
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/145292.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Spain and my Full Frame experience - Part 3 Granada's renaissance styled cathedral was built between 1523 to 1704. Like many such buildings in Spanish Andalusia, the cathedral is built on the site formerly occupied by a mosque. This photo depicts the Capilla Mayor (Main Chapel), whose dome reaches 45m in hight. There are many gypsies in the surrounding area, and one has to be alert and careful. They will force a sprig of Rosemary herbs into your hand - and once you take it, there's no choice but to pay to have your fortune told (alas, the less money you part with, the grimmer your fortune is!). Do not stop, make eye contact or talk to them - you have been warned! I shot this scene with the Canon EOS 5D using both the 17-40L and the 24-105L. Even while reviewing the images on the 5D's LCD (at maximum zoom), it was clear that the latter is noticable sharper than the 17-40L. However, sharpness is only half the story, and I still prefered the more dramatic sense of perspective that the ultrawide angle brings. This type of scene plays well to the strength of the 5D's full frame sensor - the level of detail is astounding at full 4386x2920 resolution (one can even recognise the biblical stories in the stained glass windows!), but there is a degree of softness in the corners (most evident at the top left and right). Having said that, another issue that became apparent during this photo shoot was the 24-105L's image stabiliser makes it an extremely versatile lens - with a little care and technique, I was getting away with 1/6s shutterspeed, while the lowest I could handhold on the 17-40L was 1/10s. It's also a far more forgiving lens as the image stabiliser allows you between 2-4 stops buffer should you flout the 1/focal length handshake rule. I would even choose it over it's bigger brother, the more expensive 24-70L, as the extra 70-105 range and image stabiliser really make it such an excellent walk around lens. If you're getting the 5D, I fully recommend getting the 24-105L together with it (kit lens package). This was shot in RAW format for those who are wondering. A little postprocessing was done to recover a stop's worth of blown highlights (most notably around the four arches in the lower portion of the scene). So this is another faux HDR constructed from only a single exposure.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-03-09T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:027b4df85eaf32bb260d090bbb8e20a3</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Sala Capitular
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/143089.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Spain and my Full Frame experience - Part 2 This is the domed ceiling of the Sala Capitular, an oval-shaped chapel in the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede. It was designed by Hernan Ruiz II and constructed between 1558-1592. Like the choir stalls pictured in my previous post, this is another ultra wide angle scene which benfitted well from the Canon EOS 5D's full frame sensor. One criticism about full frame cameras is that lenses vignette and exhibit softness at the corners - particularly with ultra wide angles. In the nearly 2000 shots I took with the 5D, I can confirm this is indeed true. Even a lens like the 17-40L, which was used in the photo above, does show some light fall-off and loss of corner detail. It's not severe, but there is a definate loss of image quality when you scrutinise the edges. You can get around this by cropping the image to the center 95% portion, but this doesn't deliver the full advantage of the full frame sensor. Though a more important question should be whether these issues distract from the quality and composition of the scene. Many photographers deliberate vignette their photos to focus the viewer's attention towards the center of the scene (also as an artistic effect). Why don't you be the judge - examine my shot of the Sala Capitular (or the choir stalls in the previous post) and tell me if you're distrubed by vignetting or softness at the corners.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-02-27T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:a5a6c61b42cfab54872d406c856a2765</id>
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	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Catedral de Santa María de la Sede
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/142785.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Spain and my Full Frame experience - Part 1 Just back from a holiday in Spain, and my first proper outing with my new Canon EOS 5D. I can't tell you how important I found having a full frame camera was in the many cathedrals and palaces. Not only do wide angle lenses become properly wide, but the zoom range of the lenses make a lot more sense (far less lens changing). I had the 24-105L "kit lens" mounted 90% of the time and only switched to the 17-40L for shots like this one in the Cathedral at Seville, Spain. And to top it all off, you've got no fear of shooting at high ISO. This was shot at ISO 800, and looks very acceptable even when pixel peeping at 100% (yes, I have a high quality image of this shot at a full 4386x2920 pixels!). Apart from the default amount of chroma reduction done when processing the RAW file for this photo, I've not done any noise reduction to this shot. With the 5D's large sensor, the dynamic range is also good. After just a little fiddling with the RAW file, you can see some colour and detail in the stained glass despite the tremendously challenging lighting conditions. There's also a fair amount of detail in the dark areas (benches and the lectern to the right). Do note that this is not a composite HDR shot, but just a casual handheld shot taken in a single exposure. Now a little about the subject - the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede in Seville (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) is the world's largest cathedral based on the size of it's interior. It sits on the site of what was once an Almohade mosque, still retaining the mosque's Naranjos patio and Giralda tower (minaret). The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it also contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Well worth a visit!
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-02-25T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:acd074973d1a7b0ecc9c3c8a55b736b5</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Ibis Stork
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/131187.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				This bird is an Ibis Stork, some times also referred to as the Yellow-billed Stork. When standing, they can reach up to 1 meter in height, so the very long yellow bill is allows it to still reach into the water while walking (this is how to hunts for fish). It's another shot taken during my trip with Denosha and Veloran to the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore - and thanks to them for lending me their very excellent Canon 300mm f/4 IS lens (as you can see, it's tack sharp!).
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-01-15T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:f2bffa645459e95c43c4e7a129e834fc</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Comorant Portrait
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/131129.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Portrait of a Comorant at the Jurong Bird Park. In Japan, these birds are used for traditional fishing (ukai) - the fisherman puts it on a leash and a metal ring is fitted around it's neck, preventing the bird from swallow it's catch. Apparently, the fish tastes better if caught by the bird, as the fish suffers less when it's killed in it's neck (the alternative being asphyxiation). At the end of a hard day's work, the bird is rewarded with it's last catch.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-01-13T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:48c72a18f56e02deeab699caf23aa2cc</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Dead serious
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/129716.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				This Shoebill did seem rather annoyed with me pointing a large white lens at him. It's a big bird (about 1.2m) with a huge beak - not something to mess around with when they give you "the stare". Despite the tough look, the truth is, they are actually quite gentle birds, and have thin wobbly stilt like legs. One of the game keepers at the Jurong Bird Park (Singapore), was feeding small fish to the Shoebills - danging a fish in front of them, and they'd take it from his hand. Due to habitat loss, Shoebills are now considered a vulnerable species. Hope they don't go the way of the Dodo.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-01-09T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:bfa4bae511fe2ec50da6f6e666b104d9</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Thirsty little fella
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/129710.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				An adult Black Crowned Night Heron at the Juron Bird Park (Singapore). Not sure why they call it a Night Heron - this one was snapped right in the middle of the day. It's a common wetlands bird, so no surprise that it was examining the water for food. I took this shot using my cousin's Canon 300mm f/4 IS. A very nice sharp lens as you can see! My shopping list keeps growing....
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-01-08T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:a58747d386c5afd143e0f4c8a38cbef2</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Flamingoes
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/129706.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				From a flock of Flamingoes at the Jurong Bird Park (Singapore). These are highly social birds that tend to flock together in large groups. However, I wanted to isolate a single subject and decided to focus on this individual. Snapped him just when he opened his eye - this is usually a sleeping posture, with the head tucked on his back and standing on one leg. The background was fairly dark because it was in the shade. With a little computer darkroom trickery, I made it almost completely black. Hope this mades the Flamingo stand out more.
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-01-07T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:af386420a738ba7f1ae7183f252d7a1e</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Who's the boss?
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/129705.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Another Iguana shot to cement my reputation as the Iguna-man. He sure looks smug - almost like his smiling for this portrait shot. I'm not sure what's up with Iguanas - the last one I took was on display in the Barcelona aquarium. This one was taken in the Jurong Bird Park (Singapore). They seem to crop up in places totally unrelated to them. This fella was unbathing on a wooden platform in the tree tops of an aviary. It was a totally uncontrolled environment - I was about 3 meters away with no glass inbetween us for protection. But that's nothing; Veloran got even closer and got a snap shot using a wide angle lens!
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2008-01-06T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:2a46cb7fac675410cd4457460a1630fc</id>
	</entry>

	<entry>
		<title>
			<![CDATA[
				Iguana
			]]>
		</title>
		<link href="http://duane.shutterchance.com/photoblog/54116.htm" />
		<summary>
			<![CDATA[
				Don't ask me why there was an Iguana in the Barcelona Aquarium, but here he is in all his glory. Quite a colourful fella isn't he? Apparently, Iguanas make good pets. They are affectionate and can even be walked on a leash (if trained well) - I got that off Wikipedia, no kidding. Thanks everyone for the great responses. Sorry I've not been able to blog recently. It's been hectic at work, but I do appreciate each and everyone of your comments. :)
			]]>
		</summary>
		<updated>2007-01-25T00:00:00Z</updated>
		<id>urn:uuid:22bbbd1842a90da8f17e7aaf08a7ba84</id>
	</entry>

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