Post your best bird shots!

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09-20-2010, 05:33 PM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Tadas, nice shots as usual, like them very much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tadas N.

In one day I take 600-1000 photos (and spend 8-11 hours)

Wow, I wish I can do that, I can only shoot 2 hours/week, kids have been ruining my life[:(]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tadas N.

only some images are good. Do you have any tips? ;)

get 1DIV and 600mm 4.0 II[:P]

anyway, I like your work, keep them coming!
09-20-2010, 08:50 PM
Richard Lane

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tadas N.

Fast Glass,I haven't seen your post when I wrote mine. That what you say about ISO is very interesting... Just I didn't understood everything clearly, maybe because I'm not good in English. As I understood, I should use ISO 400-800-1600, not between stops. And it's better to use 320-640-1250 than 500-1000-2000. Am I right?

-----------------------------------

The EXIF data of the first shot:

1/80 (because there was some sunshine through trees :) )

f/5.6

ISO 500

250mm

Of the second one:

1/50

f/5.6

ISO 500

300mm

I don't think it'snecessaryto post a bad shot, because bad shots are usually not sharp because of the movement of bird or slight camera shake. I've noticed that I get more sharp shots with shorter exposure time, but sometimes it's not enough light to use it. Earlier I was photographing with ISO 1600, but I was getting much too much noise, so I decided to use ISO not higher than 500. Also the DOF usually was too shallow, but I didn't want close aperture because I didn't have enough light, so I reduced the focal length. I use a tripod, but sometimes with longer exposures I get not sharp images. It would be very difficult to use a remote control because birds move very fast. Actually that fast birds' moving is the main reason of blurry images. However I don't know how to make them to be in one place longer (when they are still without food in their bill).

I think if I don't find a way to make birds pose longer, I will need to use a flash. As I said, I have tried some times to photograph with it, but birds usually fly away when I'm using it. But maybe after some time they will use to it? Additionally, when I set the camera's flash to give more light I get unnatural colors. Is it possible to solve this problem? Or is it necessary to buy some external flashes? Actually I have not enough money for a new lens/camera, even for external flash, but after some saving, it would be possible to buy it. But... maybe it's possible to make something with camera's fash?Thanks in advance!
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]It sounds like your getting blurry images due to a slow shutter speed, because you don’t have enough light, and you’re not able to optimize your settings due to increased noise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]So, I will assume that it’s not an auto focusing problem.

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]I think the 2 shots that you posted are good. The IS inside the lens or your tripod can help with camera shake, but obviously not with subject motion. You seem to understand enough about exposure, that I agree with you. The only way to get faster shutter speeds is by using a higher ISO, but that introduces more noise and then use software to try and reduce the noise. Since you can't make the birds pose longer, you will need a faster lens. A faster lens f/2.8 or f/4, or larger camera sensor are both more expensive. You can still get some decent DOF for the object in focus at f/2.8 and f/4at longer focal lengths. Keep in mind that f/4 will let in twice as much light as f/5.6, and f/2.8 will let in 4 times as much light as f/5.6. This additional light will greatly improve your shutter speed.<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]Unfortunately, you may have reached your equipment limitations within the environment that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"]you are using it in.<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]You may be limited to areas with fewer trees or better lighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Longer exposures will blur the bird or leaves if there is some wind. The other option is artificial lighting or flash, which I don’t use, so I’m sure that there are other people here to help you with that, better than I can. <o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]Rich<o:p></o:p>
09-22-2010, 05:49 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

I don't shoot a lot of small birds cause the limitation of my lenses and also I'm so lazy doing any setting up. here are couple of my favorites.

7D, 300mm 2.8, f2.8,1/1000,ISO100(I took these shots 8 month ago, I would use smaller aperture if I shot them today)

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4202/img3036kh.jpg

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/1592/img3034m.jpg

C&C welcome and thanks for viewing
09-22-2010, 12:28 PM
Kayaker72

Re: Post your best bird shots!

JJ,

Great pictures.

Brant
09-22-2010, 05:48 PM
Fast Glass

Re: Post your best bird shots!

As I understood, I should use ISO 400-800-1600, not between stops. And it's better to use 320-640-1250 than 500-1000-2000. Am I right?

Yep.

Sorry it took so long to respond, when I had time the forum didn't work or if it worked I didn't have time!

John.
09-23-2010, 04:59 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

thank you , Brant
09-23-2010, 05:16 AM
Jayson

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Amazing captures JJphoto. It is super hard to catch little birds in flight and you have done a great job. Lovely, just lovely.
09-23-2010, 03:04 PM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

thanks Jayson!

that was my first time seeing a bird flying like a hummingbird, it stopped moving in the air for seconds, that's how I could capture the actions of this little bird. I felt so lucky and excited after seeing the result in the lcd screen though it's not perfect technically. I havn't got any chance to shoot like this since then.
09-25-2010, 02:35 AM
banman1

Re: Post your best bird shots!

[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/480x320/__key/CommunityServer-Components-UserFiles/00-00-00-46-19/_5F00_MG_5F00_0005_5F00_DxO-_2800_Large_2900_.jpg[/img]heres another bald eagle pict from this week...... rod
09-25-2010, 05:44 AM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

JJPhoto - Your shots are really beautiful! I especially like the second one! Awesome!

Denise
09-25-2010, 06:08 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

thank you Denise for your kind words!
09-25-2010, 06:16 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Banman1, your picture looks pretty small on my computer screen, check the settings before you post you pictures.
09-25-2010, 02:03 PM
Joel Eade

Re: Post your best bird shots!

JJphoto, very nice Bluebird images, great work....the only thing I might consider is a horizontal crop on the second one.

Here are some birds I saw at a local pond recently....there were about a dozen of them....I have never seen this species in Kentucky before....I believe them to be Egyptian Geese, does anyone know about these birds?

EOS 1D MKIII + 300mm 2.8L + 1.4 TC

1/250 f/9 iso 400

[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/15/7382.343V7994.jpg[/img]
09-25-2010, 04:07 PM
bob williams

Re: Post your best bird shots!

JJ, Great shots of the Blue Birds---I love the "look" of the whole image as well. How did you process these?
09-25-2010, 04:29 PM
Tom Wertman

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Great shots of the Blue Birds JJ. I love the how the distant buttery back ground makes the birds just pop out of the frame.

Well done.

Tom
09-25-2010, 05:00 PM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

I think the duck I posted the other day is my best bird picture ever, but this one I like a lot too. I see a lot of really great photos in this thread, this one maybe isn't as nice, but it's my "second best".

www.flickr.com/.../2469659262][img][View:http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2013/2469659262_f48fee530b_o.jpg][/img][/url]

www.flickr.com/.../2469659262]Cardinal in South Carolina[/url] by www.flickr.com/.../doggiedoc]doggiedoc@tcah.com[/url], on Flickr

Paul

40D,EF 100-400mm
09-25-2010, 10:59 PM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

I think this is a great photo, Paul! Very sharp & good color contrast! In my neck of the woods, male cardinals are very skittish. At least the one that hung out in my backyard was...move a hair and he
09-26-2010, 12:12 AM
Richard Lane

Re: Post your best bird shots!

I'm bored! Here are some BIF that I shot a couple of Months ago, while shooting Surfing, I just couldn't resist aiming the camera up at the sky.

EOS-7D: All taken with 300mm f/2.8L IS

300mm, @ f/5.6, 1/800sec, ISO 100

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/...fa93c76d_b.jpg

300mm, @ f6.3, 1/640sec, ISO 100

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/...46f2b773_b.jpg

300mm @ f6.3, 1/640sec, ISO 100

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/...84a11796_b.jpg

300mm @ f/4.5, 1250sec, ISO 100

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/...e23680e2_b.jpg

300mm @ f/2.8, 3200sec ISO 100

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4109/...b12374ab_b.jpg

C&C Welcome!

Rich
09-26-2010, 12:23 AM
Richard Lane

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Hey Doc,

Welcome to the forums!

I like this Red Cardinal better than the Peking Duck. I think it's a rarer find, and cooler colors too!

Rich
09-26-2010, 12:41 AM
Richard Lane

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJphoto

7D, 300mm 2.8, f2.8,1/1000,ISO100 (I took these shots 8 month ago, I would use smaller aperture if I shot them today)

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/1592/img3034m.jpg

C&C welcome and thanks for viewing

JJ,

I really love this one!

Don't totally give up on the wider aperture. This one is So.... Creamy at 2.8!

Rich
09-26-2010, 12:49 AM
Richard Lane

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

Originally Posted by adrian mandea

[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.22.26/_5F00_MG_5F00_6687-mic.jpg[/img]

[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.22.26/_5F00_MG_5F00_6961.jpg[/img]

canon 40D + canon 400mm f2.8 +canon extender 1.4x

Adrian,

I love these two shots.., beautiful work!

The first one has such a creamy bokeh and the 2nd one is a great capture with a nice low angle perspective.

Rich
09-26-2010, 03:45 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

thanks Joel for the comment, really appreciated!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joel Eade

I have never seen this species in Kentucky before....I believe them to be Egyptian Geese, does anyone know about these birds?

I don't know this one either, I found only one in my place(southern California), I took this shot about 2 weeks ago, it looks almost as same as yours, it's very tame, I could get really close.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/6246/img9694i.jpg
09-26-2010, 04:15 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Bob, Tom and Rich, thank you guys very much for the kind words

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob williams

How did you process these?

well I used CS5, as you know I just started to learn PS, so I couldn't do much in the software, I just did some basic thing like level, contrast ,saturation and sharpening, I added some vibrance, it seemed to make the image looked more vivid(not sure though).

Tom, like Rich mentioned, the creamy BG is from the lens, I can easily tell my pictures that which one was taken with the 300mm 2.8 or my 400mm 5.6

basically it was a lucky bust of 5-6 shorts and these two were the better one. thanks again guys for the compliments, really appreciated!
09-26-2010, 04:39 AM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/...4a9b53c4_z.jpg
09-26-2010, 05:15 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Wow, this is a really nice shot of a dancing GBH, I like the pose of the bird, sharpness and color, I guess you already know that a more blurred background would make this shot even better( did you use the widest aperture?)
09-26-2010, 05:28 AM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJphoto

Wow, this is a really nice shot of a dancing GBH, I like the pose of the bird, sharpness and color, I guess you already know that a more blurred background would make this shot even better( did you use the widest aperture?)
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>

Yeah, I could have made an adjustment there ...I had it at f/6.3 instead of 5.6 ....silly me! [:P] It was such an odd kind of day for lighting, sunny, cloudy, sunny again ...my settings were all over the place!

Denise
09-26-2010, 08:30 AM
Steve U

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Greetings to all, this is my first contribution. My reluctant models are my three little Italian Greyhounds.

Cheers,

Steve
09-26-2010, 08:34 AM
Steve U

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Oops, had two screens open and meant to post to the pet thread.

Great start. I'll try and find something with wings.

Steve
09-26-2010, 08:50 AM
Steve U

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Not quite there yet. But I'm getting closer. The lens was too good for me. And the image size is wrong. Oh well, keep trying rookie.

Cheers, Steve.
09-26-2010, 12:10 PM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Cool Steve - I can even see spiderweb.
09-26-2010, 12:12 PM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

That is a very rare Toucan you
09-26-2010, 04:42 PM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/15/8270.Bluebird_2D00_1_5F00_EXIF.png[/img]

[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/800x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/15/2821.Bluebird_2D00_1.jpg[/img]

[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/15/2705.Bluebird_2D00_2_5F00_EXIF.png[/img]

[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/800x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/15/7178.Bluebird_2D00_2.jpg[/img]

Here are a couple of Bluebirds I shot this AM - these are 100% crops. EXIF shown above. Post processing in Aperture 3.0 (Auto Enhance)+crop and straighten.

I am new to shooting RAW images and post-processing is not my strong point. BUT - I am eager to learn and open to critique.

Thanks!!

Paul
09-27-2010, 12:18 AM
JJphoto

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Hi! Paul, those are nice shots for a 100% cropped picture.good direct front lighting and properly exposed, color looks pretty good too. if you can get closer to the bird, you will get better result, also as Fast Glass has discussed few days ago in this thread, ISO 500 may not be a good choice. see here
09-27-2010, 12:31 AM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJphoto

Hi! Paul, those are nice shots for a 100% cropped picture.good direct front lighting and properly exposed, color looks pretty good too. if you can get closer to the bird, you will get better result, also as Fast Glass has discussed few days ago in this thread, ISO 500 may not be a good choice. see here

Thanks! I'll be sure to pay more attention to the ISO - I believe it was set to AUTO this morning. [:$] As for getting closer, my yard doesn't provide much cover and spent most of the morning trying.

Paul
09-27-2010, 02:17 AM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Gray Catbird (first time I ever saw one & I had to look, it up to identify)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/...39efed10_z.jpg
09-27-2010, 02:32 AM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Cool! Looks like he
09-27-2010, 01:19 PM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Nice bluebird photos, Paul! Even uncropped, when I shoot at ISO 800 my photos are very noisy! 100% crop?? I see this posted alot here ..not quite sure how to tell when I
09-27-2010, 01:30 PM
doggiedoc

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Thanks Denise! Somebody might correct me but I take 100% crop to mean that the displayed image is showing at 1:1 pixel resolution. In other words you can
09-27-2010, 03:52 PM
Jayson

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Denise, if your using your 7D, your images shouldn
09-27-2010, 06:05 PM
ddt0725

Re: Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayson

Denise, if your using your 7D, your images shouldn't be that noisy at ISO 800.

Hi Jayson,

I think when I get home from work today I'm going to take a few photos @ ISO 800 and ISO 1600 and maybe post a few to get opinions. I don't shoot that high too often and maybe it was just that way before I did my sensor cleaning. I'm not sure but we'll see.

Denise

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