CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The images in this post look at some crops and extreme crops into the images of participants at the 2023 Polar Plunge Chicago.

To “crop” an image is to adjust the outside edges of an image (today, typically a digital photo) to improve framing or composition, especially to draw a viewer’s eye to the image subject, or to simply change the aspect ratio.

Polar Plunge 2023 by Paul Sager, on Flickr


All images were captured in RAW from an EOS 5D III and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM. Processing was performed in Adobe Lightroom 6. The title of each image is a URL link to the host Flickr page for the EXIF details of each image.

Polar Plunge 2023


Cropping is considered one of the few editing actions permissible in modern photojournalism along with tonal balance, color correction and sharpening.

Regular readers have probably noted my insistance that you look at the 1:1 pixel-level details of your images. Personally, I want sharply focused images at the pixel-level details so I can use any image for virtually any purpose.

Polar Plunge 2023


The 23nd Annual Chicago Polar Plunge happened March 5 at North Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan, Chicago. The Polar Plunge benefits the thousands of local athletes in the Special Olympics Chicago / Special Children’s Charities program.

Polar Plunge 2023


Composing images is an art form. Often, too much visual information in an image is distracting. The uncropped image fails to grab the attention of the subject, where the viewer mentally ignores the image. Most of the images in this post seek to identify a single person from within the larger group at the event.

Images range from the near-minimum 153mm to the near-maximum 371mm focal length. The smallest image was cropped to 1673-pixels on the wide-side, where that image was resized upward to the common 2048px wide-side of all these images as posted at Flickr. Can you recognize that image within this grouping?

Polar Plunge 2023


I remember reading Rockwell's original 2014 review of the v II lens where he recommended replacing all your 70-200 and 70-300 zooms with this lens, unless maybe you needed an f/2.8 aperture for indoor sports. His current review has been revised to focus on the 100-400L II on mirrorless cameras, with spectacular results.

Polar Plunge 2023


The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens offers a pro-grade ruggedness, fast, accurate and quiet AF, 3-modes of image stabilization, and impressive image quality.

Polar Plunge 2023


The version II lens replaced the original 16-year old design in 2014. The lens works perfectly with every Canon EOS camera ever made, including every Canon DSLR, and every Canon autofocus film camera made since 1987, and every Canon EOS mirrorless camera when used with the appropriate EF-mount adapter.

Polar Plunge 2023


Like the original 100-400 L, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM features Ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor) driven AF. The newer lens replaced the trombone (push-pull) zoom-style of the older lens, also using a completely new inner-focusing system.

Polar Plunge 2023


The 100-400 L II extends significantly (3in / 77mm) externally when zoomed to the 400mm maximum focal length.

Polar Plunge 2023


I used only f/7.1 on the aperture and 1/1600 sec on the shutter for all these images, letting the ISO vary between ISO-400 and ISO-500. I particularly like the frozen water drops in many of the images from the relatively fast shutter.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Thanks for sharing, Paul. The 100-400 ii is, indeed, a workhorse and worthy tool, which you’ve demonstrated. Excellent post to commemorate and celebrate the first day of Spring. B-r-r-r!

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great series, Paul.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Thanks Paul. The generous technical and technique information you share is a gift.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you 47greyfox, Earnest, Chris! The 100-400L II goes up and down within my herd. I have the 300L that is sharper and overlaps the focal length with 1.4x and 2x extenders. And yet, every time I get out this zoom, I'm reminded it delivers wonderful images without the size and heft of the 300 prime.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Yep, the 300 f2.8L is the bomb, but it weighs twice the 100-400.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Great images, Paul. Well done.

Your explanation of the methods you use and related tech stuff are much appreciated.

Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

Seems like I was there. Thanks Paul. Your commentary is always welcomed.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Mike, Ray! I've probably exhausted the groupings and posts from the Plunge, using only a minor amount of the near 200 'keepers' from the morning.

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

I loved the entire Plunge series, Paul. Thanks for the tech talk re: the 100 - 400.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Great Job, as always! I've had the Nikon version of that in the back of my head, but after purchasing the 400/2.8 TC, I need to build back some funds. (I use that 400 @ 50% of the time for my sports work!). I'm hoping that by the middle of next week, I'll be the proud owner of the 85/1.2, so perhaps later in the year. Best of luck.

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

These make you feel like you were there

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

A technically excellent and fun set, Paul!

srg

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Joe, Chris, Jim, Mike, srg! Glad you enjoyed what turned into multi-day posts on the same subject.