Please look at the picture full size against a grey background.
Not very many people know this (to quote Michael Cane) the average speed a pigeon flies is around 30 mph. More importantly that is 13.4 m/sec in un-christian units. Google was used to find out how fast a Pigeon flies in Mph and what the conversion factor is. I am currently using my first-floor back bedroom as a hide to take the pigeons. My field of view, close up is around 6m wide, with birds about 5m away from the camera in this picture.
I used a 1/4 of a sec shutter speed with a 200mm lens for this shot so the birds moved about 4m in the time that the shutter was open. To be able to contain that 4m movement I was panning the camera diagonally upwards.
A friend of mine Tony Cooper ARPS told me on Monday that my life will be changed when I find Mid-tones in my B&W pictures. He was right.
This picture “The Birds 3” is fairly mid-tonish for me with no areas of solid black. In Lightroom I use a very big colourspace called Prophoto that then gets squeezed down to fit in to sRGB for use on the web. I am always slightly brightening my pictures for my blog.
A big hello to all the new followers of my little blog.
Andy Beel FRPS 
Andy – This is a fantastic image. While it was of your pigeons, I don’t see them … I see myself, instead, looking up through a field of late season rye at a warm partly cloudy sky … simply gorgeous, mate!
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Hi Richard abstract pictures are always open to interpretation that’s why I like then so much. Thanks for commenting. Andy
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We all see things differently, depending on our mood and feeling at any given time. Interesting to read Richards take, that being a late season field of rye etc.
The message within the scene for me is that of the demise of Concorde, with a graceful glide to submission after the final flight.
Whatever the message, what is clear is the masterly technique to create a beautiful art form. Beautiful indeed.
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Hi Les thanks for your kind comments. Other people are taking pictures of pigeons now on the blog, but none of them use long shutter speeds, they just record what a pigeon looks like in flight.
See you on the 7th July.
Regards Andy
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Wonderful to read your approach and info on Prophoto, something I need to investigate. The tonal range in this is sublime and fascinating to see the jetstream these little darlings leave! I love this 🙂
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Hi Lesley the colourspace is called ProPhoto RGB. Thank sfor the appreciation. Andy
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Pigeons…I love them and the same sentiment is reserved for your marvelous renditions of them: exiting, romantic and full of longing. I note with interest the life-changing mid-tones.
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Hi Paula I’m not sure how long I will be fascinated with mid-tones. Regards Andy
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Great shot – abstract tracery.
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Hi Andy yes it is a bit abstract I want to see how far I can go in that direction. Thanks for the continued support. Regards Andy
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Having heard about this “project” from you yesterday, I’m really looking forward to following the ‘pigeons’. Inspiring, full of energy and dynamic (vectors!).
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Hi Peter you’ve got vectors on the brain. Andy
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Andy, been catching up on your blog. Damned if I can see the birds – but I love the picture. Like Richard I see grasses….
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Hi Mike just to put this back in to reality for a moment, a flock of about 20 pigeons, the picture is just the right wings. If they were grasses they would be a continuous line, pigeon wings are jointed. Anyway I’m glad you like the picture. Andy
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