Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (Page 6): Thanks dreff! The cranes and geese hit this refuge and feeding area along the Rio Grande although I'm not that knowledgeable on...

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

dreff wrote:

Very fine work.
We have these birds in great flocks here in NW Washington. I didn't realize they migrated that far south.

Thanks dreff! The cranes and geese hit this refuge and feeding area along the Rio Grande although I'm not that knowledgeable on either.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

suci wrote:

Excellent shots. Amazing detail and color.

Thank you suci! Glad you liked.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

samantha90 wrote:

Fantastic shots, beautiful subjects.

Thank you Samantha, glad you like!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Jerry Coupe wrote:

You have some very fine 'keepers." br One t... (show quote)

Thanks Jerry! I had more than an hour drive to the refuge and didn't make a priority to be there as first light. Most of the suggestions I employed. I had two bodies but didn't mount a lens to the 2nd body. Maybe I'll add that change as well. I wasn't that "determined" on preparations and maybe that also impacted the results.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

jerrycrowson wrote:

Wow! Beautiful beautiful shots. So clear. I’m new at wildlife photography and I
Hope to get shots this nice. Just got a Tamron 150-600 G2 and I know it will get
me closer than my 300. I’m trying it out this week. Again I love your photos.

Jerry Crowson, Portland Oregon
jerry.crowson@gmail.com

Thank you Jerry! Best of luck with the new lens!

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Paul- stunning shots. I am heading for there in 2 weeks time. First time for me.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

CHG_CANON wrote:

These images are nearly a year old from my first s... (show quote)

Nice set Paul.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

suntouched wrote:

Paul- stunning shots. I am heading for there in 2 weeks time. First time for me.

Thank you suntouched! Have fun!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

J-SPEIGHT wrote:

Nice set Paul.

Thank you Jack!

goraggio

Great BIF shots!
We just got back from our first try at Bosque and at BIF.
Here's one of the Blast OFF.

tjjm Loc: Saint Louis, Mo.

CHG_CANON wrote:

Thanks Jerry! I had more than an hour drive to the refuge and didn't make a priority to be there as first light. Most of the suggestions I employed. I had two bodies but didn't mount a lens to the 2nd body. Maybe I'll add that change as well. I wasn't that "determined" on preparations and maybe that also impacted the results.

Love the detail you captured and a wonderful grouping. Thinking about my trip to Bosque and how suprised I was at the massive size of the flocks on the ponds. I know I was disappointed that in shooting the birds taking off I couldn't really get the full impact of the numbers. So for your thought on second camera I heartily agree but thinking something more in the 200-300 range might be a good backup. I look forward to seeing how it goes as I hope to be there in January myself. Tom

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

CHG_CANON wrote:

Thanks raymondh! These are all manual mode with th... (show quote)

Thank you!

GWR100 Loc: England

Powerful picture, Good set.

Geoff

patmalone51 Loc: Washington, DC., Montgomery County, MD

thanks for the info. I will try shutter of 1/1,250 or 1,000. problem with the faster shutter speeds in my limited experience is then the ISO goes up and more noise in the images. I'm looking forward to the trip and will post any decent images i get. meantime here are some hummingbirds i got last summer at Audubon in santa fe. https://www.flickr.com/gp/53535718@N06/5A54ua

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

patmalone51 wrote:

thanks for the info. I will try shutter of 1/1,250 or 1,000. problem with the faster shutter speeds in my limited experience is then the ISO goes up and more noise in the images. I'm looking forward to the trip and will post any decent images i get. meantime here are some hummingbirds i got last summer at Audubon in santa fe. https://www.flickr.com/gp/53535718@N06/5A54ua

Patrick - My images are exposed as far to the right as possible without blowing the highlights in the white of the birds so that I start with relatively low noise (from a RAW file). Then, I finish in Topaz DeNoise6 after editing in LR. In manual I actively manage the exposure by adjusting the shutter speed up / down against the fixed ISO & aperture. The suggestions for BIF where birds are against the sky is to first meter on the sky for your desired exposure (ISO, aperture, SS) and then add a stop and begin shooting. While shooting, review results and adjust up / down the shutterspeed based on changes in the light or background such as birds against the ground vs the original meter against the sky. See also the comments made by others to shoot with the sun at your back so the birds are well-lit when flying at or parallel to your position.

Your hummingbirds are excellent with a minimum of blur that is rather artistic and not "too slow". I see LR6 in your EXIF data. I would say the noise pattern from your D810 should clean up nicely in LR6 alone or a more powerful noise plug-in. The most effective step in combating noise is a "bright" exposure that doesn't blow the highlights that can be adjusted downward rather than a too dark capture that requires "brightening" in post.