joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Nice weather if dressed appropriately.

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Beautiful and sharp, as usual.

EvKar Loc: Middle of the Good Old USA

Very Nice... the sharpness and the patience that it took to get such great pictures is noted. May I be so bold to ask about your gear and setup... or maybe that is addressed in the "Photo Analysis" section. I see great pictures like this from you and others on this forum... and I know that there is knowledge and a lot of experience involved with such shots, but rarely is it discussed how the shot was accomplished. Whether additional lights are involved, etc ... or just dumb luck, but each picture that you just shared has a technique for success behind it. Maybe it isn't appropriate to ask, but I thought I would, as I'm trying to achieve a higher level in this hobby. EvKar

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I have bird feeders set up in various positions in my yard to coincide with how the Sun passes through the yard at different times.
I can load up all the feeders or just the ones that have the light. I shoot from a distance of 15 to 25 feet except hummingbirds are much closer. The latter feeders are inactive now as the HBs have left.

I shoot mostly from comfortable patio chair with a tripod supported across the arms of the chair and the floor.
My camera and lens are on a rotating pivot head that is unlocked...lens and body are stabilized.

The camera and lenses are Sony A7R4 (61mp) and either the 100-400 f4.5-5.6 or the 135 f1.8, both GM. The latter lens is not stabilized. I shot these with the 135 which necessitate huge crops to enlarge the birds in the frame. The zoom may have been a better choice since the light was bright enough to lower the shutter speed.

Camera settings were: shutter priority @ 1/1000 (some may have been slower), auto ISO. When I have bright light I like these setting since it allows both aperture and ISO to float to accommodate the variation in exposure (no advantage in flat light...overcast).

I used spot focus tracking and exposure @ highlight setting. The latter may be only be available in Sony cameras but other brands may have equivalents. The frame rate is @ high in continuous shooting.

I shoot raw and process in Capture One and Topaz AI Clear.

The birds I shoot are regular visitors so they are somewhat accustomed to my presence, although I need to stay just beyond the edge of their comfort zone, which varies by species.

I use a heated hunting blind in cold weather but it is more for my comfort. Occasionally I'll use flash both on camera and off, depending on the light and where I'm shooting from, but I find it restrictive due to recycle times and it tends to annoy some birds reducing the number of shots per bird.

That covers my typical method for birds but of course there are other methods to get good results.

EvKar Loc: Middle of the Good Old USA

Wow... I'm glad I asked... and thank you for the detailed answer. I learned a lot. You do have beautiful results and although you have equipment that achieved the desired results, I'm reading between the lines and picking up on all the experience you have gained over the years. Again, thank you your openness... makes a guy want to grab his lawn chair and get outside. Such fun and satisfaction.
EvKar

Ourspolair

Beautiful shots, as ever. Thanks for the capture info. You have really turned bird photography into an art form. Stay well and keep on sharing.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

You do these so well, Joe.

kerry12 Loc: Harrisburg, Pa.

I find the first picture to be very striking. It is tack sharp against the back ground. The others are very nice also, but the first one really caught my eye.

rockdog Loc: Berkeley, Ca.

Your work is always a pleasure to view Joe and thank you for the detailed description of your methodology.
Phil

smilenangler Loc: The Flood City, Pa.

Very nice set...

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

Beautiful set, Joe!