via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Not too much else I want to do today with heavy smoke in the air from the Caldor fire: I am in Sonora, CA, far from it but smoke travels hundreds of miles above us and it has been smothering the Motherlode area, the Northern California foothills and the Central Valley. So, photographed some birds in the yard trying to get action. I discovered, however, that 1/2500 of a second is too slow for these birds so will try again tomorrow with a higher shutter speed. Topaz DeNoise AI does a really nice job of smoothing out high ISOs, which today were in the range of ISO 4500: will need to up that tomorrow. Nikon D850, Nikon 500PF, LrC, Topaz DeNoise, PS, all as needed. Adult and juvenile Jays and a Titmouse.

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Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

Wonderful shots! Know all about the damn wildfire smoke- we were under the pall of smoke all last week.
I start my avian photography with a 1/4000 or higher shutter speed. I try to keep the aperture in the "sweet" zone for that particular lens- f 8 for my 500pF for instance. Then, depending on the body I am using, I keep the ISO as low as possible consistent with keeping the shutter speed as high a possible. Aperture is next. I limit the floating ISO to 3200 on my D7200, 5000 on my D500 and 8000 on my D850. Thanx for sharing and keep well in all that damn smoke!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Beautiful work, Connie! Those of us in the west are becoming very familiar with the smoke. Thank goodness for Topaz.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Thanks for the tips, I do know better, just did not give it a thought as I started shooting. I'm using my D850 and will set the variable ISO as you noted and see how that works out and will try f/8, something I don't normally do as I like to keep the background soft. I'm amazed at how good a job Topaz DeNoise does at fixing the noise. Stay well...

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Nice set.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Awesomely captured specimens
⭐👁️👁️⭐

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Interesting philosophy on backgrounds. When shooting wildlife, particularly birds, I tend to shoot f8 and above to get the additional DOF. I can deal with background issues in PS. I shoot aperture priority and when I tried using Auto ISO on my D7200 the camera kept trying to get lower ISO by opening the aperture resulting in loss of DOF. To each his own I guess.

Annie-Get-Your-Gun Loc: Byron Center, Mi

Very nice. Connie.

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

I also shoot a D7200 in aperture priority auto ISO. In aperture priority the aperture should not deviate. If there is going to be under exposure for your settings the shutter speed will go lower than the minimum you have set but I'm not aware of the aperture changing. Possibly it does and I'm just not aware of it because I've never run into that situation.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

I'm sorry, old age brain f..t. I meant shutter priority.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

In reply to what Carmudgeon wrote:



I actually shoot a lot of wildlife, birds and mammals. I almost always keep the lens wide open to get the fastest shutter speed possible given the existing situation, the DOF generally works out fine because I am so far away. If an animal were really long in body then it does fall off but it does not really matter, smaller animals, for example, birds, are generally sharp if I've shot at a fast enough shutter speed for the moment and are sharp where it counts. I shoot in aperture priority or manual. Shooting in manual is the best bet when using auto ISO, sometimes I simply set the ISO at a higher setting right for the moment if the light does not appear to be variable. Shooting in manual with auto ISO is assurance that nothing but the ISO will change. While shooting in aperture priority I have never had the aperture change but I have had the shutter drop too low and that's why it's a best practice to shoot in manual and I do when I remember to change the setting. Too much to remember and use!

In the images I posted I set the aperture at f/5.6, wanting to get the fastest shutter speed possible at the lowest ISO possible given the light, and the shutter was at 1/2500, which was fast enough for the blue jay jumping up and down but not for flying, or it could have been that I was not fast enough to get focus when the blue jay flew....or maybe a little of both. I also want to obscure the background as much as possible so thus the f/5.6, although if I were paying detailed attention it could be that f/8 would work out ok if the background was very far away. I often shoot hummers at 1/2500, although 1/3200 is a nice middle ground for hummers. The lower shutter speed allows me to get wing movement but a sharp image. It's a constant guess with wildlife photography and the subject and that is, for me, what makes it fun...the challenge. There is no one right choice for all things moving, experience helps a lot to know how to set the camera based on the speed of the subject and the desired goal. Steve Perry has a very good E-book on shooting wildlife: I've shot with him and a couple of other wildlife photographers and I've taken my cue from them. There are so many variables when shooting wildlife! I think, within parameters, it's about what works at the moment.

Here are two hummers taken at two different shutter speeds and each one is sharp.

1/2000. ISO 4000. F/5.6

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Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

When I say I shoot in manual I mean: Manual focus, manual ISO, manual aperture, manual shutter. I do use the exposure meter since I no longer own one. It's as close as I can come to my old Nikon F. I don't do it often because (a) I get shots equivalent to my Kodachromes. (b) I paid good money for the bells and whistles on my D7200 and I'm going to take advantage of them

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

Excellent shots, Connie!

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

I shoot in whatever mode will "get me there," and in variable light situations auto-ISO does the trick. I most often shoot in Aperture Priority and wide open on my Nikon 500PF lens. But using manual settings for shutter and aperture instead of AP works best for auto-ISO. For me, there are no rules, such as leave everything manual, it's all about what it takes to get that shot. Someone gave me a Nikon F, a great big clunky thing but I have no desire to try it out, it sits on a shelf.

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

Great shots