This is an American Goldfinch im winter plumage, from the backyard setup....40D, 300mm 2.8 + 1.4xTC
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This is an American Goldfinch im winter plumage, from the backyard setup....40D, 300mm 2.8 + 1.4xTC
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Great shot Joel!
John.
Joel, would you mind posting EXIF info for your shots? It helps beginners like me get the hang of things [8-|]
Quote:
Originally Posted by bburns223
It's not stripped out, so you can just save the image and check (or use an EXIF firefox plugin). The goldfinch above is:
40D, 420mm, 1/400, f/6.3, ISO-400. Aperture priority + 0.7 EC. Center Weighted Average metering.
<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;"]Joel, you’re tough to please, I appreciate the feedback [:)]. And awesome goldfinch btw! You do that lens justice.<o:p></o:p>
<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;"]Here are some mandarins... (at different angles [;)]). The 3rd one is so sad that the other duck was in my shot. [:(] I'll have to go shoot more and hope to get lucky. Sigh.<o:p></o:p>
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50D 70-200L F4 IS @ 200mm F4 1/800 iso 250
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50D 70-200L F4 IS @ 200mm F4 1/640 iso 250
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50D 70-200L F4 IS @ 200mm F4 1/800 iso 250
Best,
-james
I'm not really trying to give you a hard time....I just think with birds the images look best if you're on the same level with the subject and if the subject is making eye contact with you....this requires that the head angle be just right to get the best result. Kind of picky I guess, and I have to shoot alot of images to get one just right. My keeper rate is probably less than 5%.
Mandarins and woodies are gorgeous birds aren't they? The ones you've posted are well done but if you concentrate on getting low and then try to get eye contact I think you get even better.
OK, finally got a chance to go to La Jolla and took some pictures of those pelicans last month, here is one of them, thanks for viewing
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Could you guys help me out a little? I love the shots you guys are getting with the backyard setup and I have seen some photos of the setups, but never really paid that much attention until now. Do you guys have a fairly large back yard into a wooded area or just fixed it up to look that way. I have a fairly small back yard and a fence that goes around it. I am trying to set up some type of feeder for some song birds and possibly get some pictures to show off. Any tips or techniques would be a great help. I am tired of driving for 20 mins to get to a spot where there might be birds and finding out that they have gone elsewhere. Thanks.
Jayson
Hey Jayson,
I'll try to give you a basic idea of how I make my setups.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jayson
I personally don't have a huge backyard. It's semi-large, but not deeply forested. Joel does have a ton of woods behind his house and from what I've seen a far greater diversity of birds. You don't need a huge backyard, but then again you can't really attract songbird diversity if your backyard is sized like this:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2068/2496184120_d4498de165_o.jpg
Anywho, here's how I make my setups.
First, use a birdfeeder. As you saw with that spilled birdseed, it'll attract all the birds in your area.
Second, setup any bush, dead tree, branch, or otherwise natural photogenic perch near the birdfeeder. Many birds love to stop off at a perch before they come to a feeder, and that's when they're best photographed. Here's one of my first (rudimentary) setups:
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Yeah, it's really simple. I just found a stick and put it on top of my birdfeeder. Almost TOO easy. Definitely not my best setup. But hey, I got some awesome photos with this:
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Using a blind will increase the volume of birds landing at your perches. Panning a long telephoto lens will send a bird within 12', especially wary birds like woodpeckers, into the air. Plus, blinds only run about $90.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jayson
That's why birdfeeder setups are awesome. Everything'll come to you. Use different perches, maybe plant a bush or two, use trial and error to see what works for you. Joel will probably give you a better explanation.
hope this helps
brendan
Quote:
Originally Posted by JJphoto
What a great shot, thanks for sharing.
Bob
Jayson,
Brendan gave you the basic idea, you need an attractant (bird food of some variety and/or a water feature).
Then you need various perches (usually branches you can find on the ground or trim fresh) and something to hold the perch in the best position. I use some cheap plastic christmas tree holders, but you can use just about anything like old tripods or mic stands or something you create out of cheap stuff.
You're pics will benefit greatly if you keep the sun at your back and pay attention to eliminate distractions from the background.
Also your results will greatly improve if learn how to get proper exposure...not as easy as it sounds, I see alot of underexposed images and this kills the detail/sharpness of an image.
All of this, of course, has been done and there are some nice books on the subject. One the best I've ever seen is : http://www.alanmurphyphotography.com/
Look at this guy's stuff and read his blog.
Joel
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidEccleston
Thanks for bringing up that there is a EXIF plugin for firefox. I didn't know. This will come in very handy.
Thank you Brendan and Joel for your insight. I really appreciate it. I will have a look at the website and see what I can come up with. Just went to Lowe's and purchased a feeder, so now time to construct. Hopefully the snow melts soon so I can get the darn thing up and running.
Canon 40D & 500 f/4L IS, f/4, 1/3200, ISO 200, manual exposure, hanhheld. This image was brightened 1 stop in DPP due to my settings for shooting great white egret.
Larger version http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=10761592&size=lg
http://www.pscvn.org/members/308/3-4...2-07-09_AM.jpg
Nice work Nate. Good composition, eye contact is cool. It looks nice and sharp. I like the water dripping off the fish.
Joel
this is something I'v been dreaming about, great catch Nate! and I like the water dripping off the fish too.
Here is one of mine:
Canada Goose
Canon 7D and 300 f/4L IS USM @ f8, 1/500, ISO 400. Manual Exposure, Handheld.
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I also saw this bird today: looks like a hybrid between a mallard and something else... Joel, Nate????
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C&C welcome.
brendan
I saw this Red Tailed Hawk dive off of a fence post next to the road this morning....he let me get a few shots before flying off with his breakfast.
Canon 40D, 300mm 2.8L......
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Brendan,
I like your Canada goose portrait...I believe you could really make it pop if you adjust the levels, brighten the eye and sharpen it a little more....that second one...I don't know, I'm not really up on my waterfowl identifications.
Joel
Brendan,
I hope you don't mind...I worked on your Canada goose.....what do you think? The biggest problem is that the whites are blown out and I couldn't recover any detail there, otherwise it's a cool shot.
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yeah, I sure do wish I could have retained some d-tail in that white patch. Nice edit, Joel, I'll work on it [:D]
One more:
I believe a ringbilled gull, f/7.1, 1/1000, ISO 400. Manual, handheld.
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Crap, that didn't sharpen too well. Whatever [:P]
C&C welcome
Brendan
Shot this great egret in-flight today. Hope you like.
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50D 70-200L F4 IS @ F4 1/6400 iso 250
Best,
-james
Hey Joel,
I edited your picture, I felt that it need a little "digital snap" so to speak. Hope you like it.
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Here is one of mine.
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John.
John....what PP did you perform on Joel's capture?
To be honest John, I think you over-saturate your pictures sometimes. I like the original more, but that's my personal idea of it.
Jan
I just used DDP to add levels and tone curve with a small amount of saturation increase. Yeah I think I went overboard with the saturation on the goose shot. I think I will tone down the saturation on alot of my shots. Something closer to what Joel's images is like, after I edited it. I think the original image was not quite true to life contrast or saturation. But mine is slightly more contrasty and saturatedthan real life, just the way I like it....[:$]
John.
I caught these geese behind my house...
7D + 300 f/4L IS, don't have EXIF w/ me... (Image is B&W)
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C&C anyone?
brendan
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheiky
I agree that his pics are often over-saturated for most people's liking, however I *love* what he did to Joel's hawk. He really brought out the colors without going overboard.
I think the saturation is just John's style. Oh well I love that goose John. It's a Greylag Goose, right?
Anywho, one more from me. Hope nobody minds, I realize I've kinda hijacked this thread with my photos. WAIT it's my own thread....[:|]
Mallard, 7D + 300 f/4L IS USM @ f9, 1/320, ISO 640. Manual Exposure, Handheld. (I believe thats the correct EXIF, i'll check)
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C&C Wellcome
brendan
Just wanted to add to the thread, not really reply or quote? So we'll see how this goes (formats).
Don't usually photograph Gulls, too easy - but this one was just so close I could not resist and I wanted to TEST post anyway:
http://www.shea-design.com/photo-for...-Crop_1370.jpg
300mm f/4 with 1.4 Extndr, (f/16 1/250th iso 250)
-Shea
Welcome to the forum Shea!
Nice to have another member shooting with the 300 f4 [;)]
Thanks! Yeah I gotta leave that 1.4 extender at home next time I go out.. the difference is subtle but notable in my book.
Found this Anna's Hummingbird today. Awfully difficult to get this shot with my 70-200 as it was at the top of a tree (and very tiny!)... it's 100% crop [:|]... I see a new lens in my future. Well here's for makin-do.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/...fdbb63cc_o.jpg
50D 70-200L F4 IS @ F4 1/500 iso 100 (~100% crop!) [Also my first attempt to link from Flickr]
-james
DUDE! That's a 100% crop! I never would have guessed....
Great shot James. Itseems to be a bit oversharpened, try to use less sharpening next time.
John.
Bloody great for a 100% crop though! Nice one.
Thanks Brendan and John. Here was the full-size cropto prove it. Between the 70-200L IS F4's awesome glass and 15 megapixels of the 50D, was able to salvage something. And it's fair to say it has a bit oversharpend look to it... side-effect of over-compensating for the short telephoto. I'll try to make it more subtle next time (or get a longer lens [:D]).
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/...50df812060.jpg
-james
Here is the real 100% crop, the only PP was Adobe Camera Raw set to 25 on the sharpening (nothing in photoshop besides save for web). Probably could use a little unsharp mask... but this is pretty close to right off the camera.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/...b81188d745.jpg
-james
That looks WAY better James. Notso over sharpened....[Y]
John.
Hi All,
i enjoy (and have used) Bryan's reviews, so it's time to share some results.
This was taken this morning just outside Boulder, CO. Call it 'Colonel Blackbird'. C&C welcome.
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Canon 5D Mk II, EF 100-400 5.6L, f=6.3, 1/320, ISO 200