HELP!!!! need advice from bif guys --swallows in flight --GOT ONE!!!!

[ddt0725]

Hi Jim -


Wow, much improvement on your second attempt! The cropped version looks really good! Yesterday, I was at the Chicago Botanic Gardens and saw birds like this flying everywhere and you are right - they are not easy to photograph in flight! Here's a very cropped version of one I caught but I'm not sure if it is a swallow, it was flying with them & just as erractic over the water catching mosquitos. It's not very good since I took the photo with my macro lens [:P], I left my 100-400mm at home this time!! [] I just couldn't watch all these birds and not try to get at least one!

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Denise

[lynx0069]

hi denise......nice shot with a macro lens [:P] which one do you have? its the 100f/2.8L right? it looks like a swallow to me, hard to tell if its a barn or tree swallow though. i dont think its a purple martin though, toolight on the belly.


jim

[ddt0725]

which one do you have? its the 100f/2.8L right?

Yes, it's the 100 f/2.8L IS. Not exactly a BIF lens but great for everything else I was photographing!

Denise

[Richard Lane]

Great shot Denise! I like that the bird is flying into the frame with a full wing span.


Nicely done..., especially with that shorter lens!


So, lets see the Macro Garden Pictures.


Rich

[lynx0069]

dont mean to be petty.......but, richard, it is my thread, and denise's shot is a good shot, but if you are going to comment denise's, it would have been nice to comment mine as well.


jim

[ddt0725]

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dont mean to be petty.......but, richard, it is my thread, and denise's shot is a good shot, but if you are going to comment denise's, it would have been nice to comment mine as well.


jim
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I do apologize myself for posting the photo ...I was basically just trying to converse with you and get your opinion on if you thought it was indeed a type of swallow.

Denise

[lynx0069]

thats ok denise........i dont mind others posting there shots, it gives us something to compare, its not your fault at all. and i'm not upset or anything, especially at you.......it's just that i started the thread to get advice from other bif photographers as to how i can improve my shots and technique, and i dont mind comments on others pictures, but if they are going to comment someone elses shots, please be kind and comment and/or critique mine as well..........thats all.


jim

[Richard Lane]

Hi Jim,


You're absolutely correct. Thanks for asking... Somehow, I went to the latest post and I didn't realize that you posted "new" bird shots. I thought those were the same ones from the other day.


I like the action of the birds better on your first day; wings spread in the first one, and then wings back on the second one. Those shots look more dynamic to me, generating speed and motion, howeveryour first days attempts were slightly OOF with motion blur, but it seems that you have made the necessary adjustments in shutter speed and DOF that the posters here have suggested, so nicely done for that.


The new ones are way better, because they are clear and in focus, however this particular bird looks smaller and further away to me then the first days birds, so I would like to see more zoom, however that is easer said then done with such a small fast bird.


I like the cropped version much better without the distracting background, and the bird is flying right by the viewers eye with room left over in the frame, nicely done on that one.


I guess another goal of yours should be a few images with both wings in flight, again good luck with that one, especially since they are flying so low.


It's always best to use the fastest lens that you own in this situation. I think that the 70-200mm f/4L with 1.4X (98-280mm @ f5.6) will probably be similar to the100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L, but you should definitely give it a try ( I would probably give the edge to the 100mm-400MM Lens), afterall isn't that why we have all of these lenses to play with. You should bring both lenses and switch to see which one you like better.


Looking forward to the next shots...


Rich