Bird Activity Picking Up At Watson Lake, Prescott, AZ
Sep 5, 2016 00:48:33 #
With temps cooling and days get slooowly shorter the bird's habits and activity is changing presenting some new opportunities. This morning was at Watson Lake in Prescott. Lake was a bit busy with labor day activity .... kayaks and sail boats. I just found a nice sheltered place in the shade on the back and waited. Technical: Nikon D500 with Nikon 200-500mm F5.6, Hand holding. The latest setup sI have been using is BBF. I have been shooting in manual mode with shutter speed 1,250 and aperture at F10. ISO is on automatic. I carry the system on an OpTech sling with one point of attachment. A little scary but if you hook up both eyelets all of the straps are right in front of you face when you go to shot.The one point of attachment is rated at 140 lbs and my camera and lens equal about 11 lbs. Definitely more comfortable than a neck strap. I must admit that I support the system a bit wit my left hand (I'm left handed so used there "Genger Changers" to make it work for us lefties.
Anyway did get a few decent captures for your perusal. A nice one of a Pied Billed Grebe sitting on a next, A couple of a Green Heron and a new bird for me, a Yellow Headed Blackbird.
I import my RAW files into Lightroom CC. I adjust for Lens Correction then open a tif copy into Topaz DeNoise where I quickly correct the noise. Save the image back to LR. Crop the image and any PP that is needed. I do not sharpen at this time. Now open another copy of the image in ON1 Effects. Here I will generally use "Dynamic Contrast," "Tonal Contrast," and apply a soft vignette and save back to LR Final adjustments are done in LR.
Anyway did get a few decent captures for your perusal. A nice one of a Pied Billed Grebe sitting on a next, A couple of a Green Heron and a new bird for me, a Yellow Headed Blackbird.
I import my RAW files into Lightroom CC. I adjust for Lens Correction then open a tif copy into Topaz DeNoise where I quickly correct the noise. Save the image back to LR. Crop the image and any PP that is needed. I do not sharpen at this time. Now open another copy of the image in ON1 Effects. Here I will generally use "Dynamic Contrast," "Tonal Contrast," and apply a soft vignette and save back to LR Final adjustments are done in LR.
Pied Billed Grebe
(Download)
Green Heon coming in for a landing
(Download)
Landed
(Download)
A small flight of Yellow Headed Blackbirds
(Download)
More Yellow Headed Blackbirds
(Download)
And Still More
(Download)
Sep 5, 2016 04:07:50 #
Excellent series of photographs and I particularly like the photograph "Landed".
Sep 5, 2016 06:39:07 #
Drdale55 wrote:
With temps cooling and days get slooowly shorter t... (show quote)
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Well, it's often said that a person should try to learn something new each day and your nicely presented photographs have just done just that for me. I am not a bird expert, but do know of a few, however; the Yellow Headed Blackbird is a new one for me ! Nice job and thanks for sharing.
Sep 5, 2016 10:45:21 #
Leicaflex wrote:
Excellent series of photographs and I particularly like the photograph "Landed".
Thanks for looking Leicaflex!
Sep 5, 2016 10:46:25 #
Zone-System-Grandpa wrote:
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Well, it's often said that a person should try to learn something new each day and your nicely presented photographs have just done just that for me. I am not a bird expert, but do know of a few, however; the Yellow Headed Blackbird is a new one for me ! Nice job and thanks for sharing.
Well, it's often said that a person should try to learn something new each day and your nicely presented photographs have just done just that for me. I am not a bird expert, but do know of a few, however; the Yellow Headed Blackbird is a new one for me ! Nice job and thanks for sharing.
Very nice of you. It was actually a new bird for me as well.
Sep 5, 2016 10:47:34 #
Oh my .... put that post in late last night and obviously did not proof it. I apologize for the spelling/grammar errors!!!!
Sep 6, 2016 12:16:25 #
Sep 6, 2016 23:49:59 #
Sep 7, 2016 04:24:15 #
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