It's a jungle out there
May 10, 2017 22:20:56 #
May 11, 2017 06:28:24 #
May 11, 2017 07:04:42 #
Good catchlight in the eye, nice shallow depth of field. It's not something you would frame for the wall, but most bird shots seem to be kind of an I.D. photo. I have the same issue (not sure its a problem, just an issue) - finding ways to photograph birds so its a great photo, not a great bird in a regular photo. It's not likely you would ever catch this little guy in flight. I've tried and they are tougher than barn swallows. Perhaps an "action shot" of him feeding.
May 11, 2017 07:47:24 #
GregWCIL wrote:
Good catchlight in the eye, nice shallow depth of field. It's not something you would frame for the wall, but most bird shots seem to be kind of an I.D. photo. I have the same issue (not sure its a problem, just an issue) - finding ways to photograph birds so its a great photo, not a great bird in a regular photo. It's not likely you would ever catch this little guy in flight. I've tried and they are tougher than barn swallows. Perhaps an "action shot" of him feeding.
You are correct, Greg. Catching small birds in flight is extremely difficult. It is not impossible though. I have seen it. One guy I know of uses flash. He's got a pretty complicated looking rig. I'm not sure that I want to be that "all in" for shooting birds. I do enjoy the quest of getting in close though. I know another guy, Wendell Shinn .. over in the UK. He shoots incredible wide angle shots of ravens. Then he dresses them up in Photoshop. Top hats, scarves. I love his work. He once asked me if he could use some of my wide angle Snicker shots.
http://wendellshinnphotography.com/the-ravens-of-ocean-beach-the-portraits/
May 11, 2017 10:15:42 #
I think you've done very well. It's a nice pose on a really nice branch (twig?). And the bokeh is beautiful.
May 11, 2017 12:18:35 #
Hi, Sandra,
A good pose yet would prefer the bill be profiled against a lighter BG.
Exposure good save for clipped detail in the supra orbital and nasal rictal feathers.
I'm guessing this is a significant crop from a larger frame of a long shot, due to over-all softness (in the download) and almost immediate entry into empty magnification with any further enlargement ("two-finger expansion")
Dave
A good pose yet would prefer the bill be profiled against a lighter BG.
Exposure good save for clipped detail in the supra orbital and nasal rictal feathers.
I'm guessing this is a significant crop from a larger frame of a long shot, due to over-all softness (in the download) and almost immediate entry into empty magnification with any further enlargement ("two-finger expansion")
Dave
May 11, 2017 13:24:14 #
Nightski wrote:
Downy Woodpecker - For Dave who is sick of my blurry shots. 
ISO 800
F/6.3
1/1250
ISO 800
F/6.3
1/1250
Au contraire, Madam!
I am not "sick of" your "blurry shots" (YOUR words!)
My critique of your cattail image was one of positive intent!
Dave
May 12, 2017 06:26:11 #
Nightski wrote:
Downy Woodpecker - For Dave who is sick of my blurry shots.
ISO 800
F/6.3
1/1250
ISO 800
F/6.3
1/1250
Yes, it's blurred. The highlight in the eye could be sharper and the feathers are soft. That could be for a lot of reasons starting with the possibility that the lens may have been wide open - OK for portraits and flowers but not right for birds. It might also be because you cropped it so much that you ran out of resolution.
It's also overexposed by about 2 stops. All three channels in the white patch over the eye and above the beak are blown. For broad daylight you should be closer to 1/1600 @ f/11 for ISO 800.
The bird is also facing out of the picture - should be more to the left side of the image facing into the frame.
May 12, 2017 12:15:12 #
Actually I barely cropped a bit off the bottom. Lens is wide open for the focal length. It can go to 5.0 if it's under 300mm. You know? Looking at this again I think there was a tiny bit of movement blur. I noticed the softness, but brushed it off to the exposure issue. I have no excuse for the exposure. I had plenty of time to shoot this bird. It follows me though the woods now, begging for peanuts. I've been feeding a pair all winter.
I can take sharp shots with this lens at 6.3, but I agree .. this isn't as sharp as it should be. Dave .. it was a bit of humor. I have thought about the cattail image a bit too. I intentionally cropped that cattail with the intent of the texture detail being my subject and the other cattails being the backdrop. I honestly see you point. One thing I really liked about that image and this one is the dreamy background blues. I guess I was too entranced with that to pay proper attention to my subject.
I can take sharp shots with this lens at 6.3, but I agree .. this isn't as sharp as it should be. Dave .. it was a bit of humor. I have thought about the cattail image a bit too. I intentionally cropped that cattail with the intent of the texture detail being my subject and the other cattails being the backdrop. I honestly see you point. One thing I really liked about that image and this one is the dreamy background blues. I guess I was too entranced with that to pay proper attention to my subject.
May 12, 2017 18:25:58 #
Nightski wrote:
Actually I barely cropped a bit off the bottom. Le... (show quote)
No excuse needed...for you, the dreamy blues assumed significance I didn't happen to catch. I've come to realize that if everyone were to see precisely the same things in every image...such a forum as this could be deadly dull!
I liked the image. It made me recall a cattail image I posted a year or two ago.
And I like the image of two woodpeckers following you for proffered peanuts!
Dave
Jun 8, 2017 12:03:31 #
I see a soft image with some over exposed whites. The details in the feathers and clear sharp eyes are a must in bird images and this is a throw away image at best.
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