Amazing quality at 100% crop with ISO 1600
Got to love the 5D ....

I like your photos so very much!

Interesting crop/dusting of geese. This shot wraps up a full day of birds for us as we spent the morning at the Snake River Birds of Prey Center. As we arrived at the center, the sky rumbled from the sound of a low flying C30 Hercules cargo plane and six A10 Warthogs which Benny immediately renamed, "Pigs of Prey." We saw a California Condor whose face would make any pig, or goose, look totally elegant! Buzzards are ugly, but Condors are absurdly ugly......perhaps even to other Condors which might explain the "near extinction" thing.

From the size of this flock, I assume the Greater Snow Geese find each other quite cute enough thank you!

These are great shots of the snow geese! I love the way their little heads pop up against the background. Last night, just before sunset, there were hundres of thousands of them on Merrill Creek, I never heard them so loud here at home. We drove up and they covered the middle of the lake! Too dark to get pictures.

I love your photos so very much - they are wondefull!
Thanks for sharing!

Great shot(s). Drifting slightly stage right as the percentages went up allowed for seeing a much more interesting group of geese.

Well it looks like the snow geese want more space on your blog and they won't leave until they are satisfied with the coverage. Just shows that besides flying they also can pose.

It's very interesting to see the progression of cropping and quality. It really holds up well at 100%. Great photo, and thanks for posting all the versions!

The compositions are nice, but you seem to shoot a lot at high ISOs for no reason...the light seems quite good here.

The high ISO noise does nothing for these exposures. I hope you don't shoot with your camera in auto-iso.

JT: There really isn't any noise in this image - what you see is snow falling.

The Canon 5D is virtually noiseless at high ISOs.

I always shoot in manual mode, including the ISO. I bumped it up to 1600 in this situation because it was heavily overcast and I wanted to use a fast shutter - I was expecting the geese to take off at any second (which they did).

I have a friend who uses the Canon 5D and keeps it set at ISO 1600 all the time. The prints are beautiful, too.

Beautiful, as always. Such pretty birds. I love the sprinkling of snow--very apropos.

Don't mean to be contrary, Kathleen, but I have a 5D and must disagree that it is "virtually noiseless and high ISOs".

While noise is well controlled with this model, it is still apparent in the shadows. Noise (or its by-products) becomes visible in a number of ways. The one that I see in these pictures is a result of lost detail, which comes into play at high ISO settings in an effort to "smooth " out the noise. Even though you may have NR turned off, some is still applied.

Not a big deal either way, but I think you could have shot this at ISO 400 @ 1/200s and had a much cleaner shot.

Regardless, I'm still enjoying them.

Take care.

One more observation...snap back to your previous two posts and you'll immediately see the added punch & sharpness, not to mention contrast, that the lower ISO yields.

JT: Thanks for the info.

I do notice noise is in the shadows when I've shot at high ISOs in very low light.

This image of the geese sitting could've been shot at ISO 400, you're right. I was thinking ahead for the "take-off" shot - the geese are pretty skittish! - and prepared myself for it by using ISO 1600 / shutter 1/800s.

I agree that the previous two images have more "punch & sharpness" and I think that's a function of the ISO to a degree, and perhaps some "smoothing" by the camera, but in my experience, it's more about the lens and aperture setting (70-200mm at f5.6 vs. 17-40mm at f/16 and 24-70mm at f/11).

The 70-200mm doesn't seem deliver the same kind of crisp results that the 17-40mm and 24-70mm offer, even at small apertures with low ISOs.

Thanks for the discussion. I love it! :)

the trees at the background which are occupying most of the frame and because of the high ISO or whatever is the reason looks so noisy and dull again makes this picture weak and lack the punch of other photos I always enjoyed here. Eventhough there are geese in the picture, because of the phantom size of the background trees they are kind of small in the entire composition. I will wait for the next pic :)
-Balaji

I see it's finally snowing a bit for you. I like the first image, the tight crop that shows the weather, and the bird details.

Now I know where they go, when they leave the Bosque Del Apache down here in November. :)

Kathleen: I would like to visit your photo exhibit, but can't make it to the receptions. What hours will it be open? I'm looking forward to seeing your photos in print form!!
Anita

love the photo ...these geese really stand out from the dark trees ... can't believe there are so many in one spot

If I were more knowledgeable about the technicalities and mechanics of photography, I wonder if I would find the discussion about noise levels meaningful or important. Would the photograph be a "better" photograph? Because where I'm at I just take in and enjoy the image and let it speak to me. It's like the question: If you can't see or hear the noise, is it even there? Ignorance is bliss?

As imagery goes my favourite is the top. Very strong.

I love these. I'm so glad they are still around for you to get so many rare and wonderful photos of them.

The top shot is fantastic.

my goodness. these are really nice.
my favorite of the week! just fantastic.