Post your best bird shots!

[bob williams]

No, No, No I don't have any pictures of hummers to post. After watching this thread and really enjoying everyone's work I have to admit I have been embarrassed to write anything lately. Over the last two or three weeks I have been out several times to shoot my very active hummers, but I have not had even one keeper. I'm in a slump. As some of you may know (I hope I am not the only one), there is nothing worse than shooting 500 photos only to discover that they are all @#$%^&*. Out of focus, ghosting, poor background, poor composition, bad exposure----you name the problem and I have experienced it this month. I am embarrased, frustrated and even angry about my lack of success. More importantly, I am frustrated with my inability to isolate the problems or discover my errors.

So, I have a 4 day weekend and have already informed my bride that I plan to address and fix these problems (even if it takes all four days)---can you say OCD. In one of my blog posts I said that one of my (realistic) goals was to have 100 decent hummingbird shots before the end of the season. I am currently up to 72 I think, so I have some serious work ahead of me this weekend.

I was having some luck with my old setup, but in order to change things up a bit and challenge myself to new levels of competance I decide to alter many of my practices----now I have to figure out which one or how many of my ideas were "bad ones"

My old setup consisted of:

7d, 500L 4 or 5 speed lights set at 1/16, ISO 400 or higher, Shutter speed at 250 and aperature between f9 and f16 depending on ambient light. I also normally used a staged but natural background.

My failed setup of late consisted of 7D, 100L, 4 or 5 speedlights set at 1/32, ISO 200, Shutter speed at 125, and aperature between f11 and f16 and I started useing a printed background.

My biggest problem, and one I thought I had resolved, was ghosting. So I plan to start my trouble shooting at shutter speed and going back to 1/250th and see what that does. Logically, It shouldn't make a difference if no ambient light is let in and all speed lights are set correctly---But I am doing something wrong and I figured this is as good a place as any to start.

Anyway, Sorry about the rant, But I had to vent and you folks are the only people I know that might understand my obsession.


Bob

[conropl]

there is nothing worse than shooting 500 photos only to discover that they are all @#$%^&*. Out of focus, ghosting, poor background, poor composition, bad exposure----you name the problem and I have experienced it this month. I am embarrased, frustrated and even angry about my lack of success. More importantly, I am frustrated with my inability to isolate the problems or discover my errors.

If you took the best of those 500 @#$%^&* shots and posted it, I bet a whole lot of people here would wish they could get one that good. You are going to be your worst critic.

Pat

[bob williams]

Hmmm...seems to be a common problem here at the TDP forums. Perhaps a symptom of "L" disease?

You may be on to something

72!? I had a hb in my backyard continuously from sunrise to sunset all season long and I think I ended up with about 5 - 8 keepers! And they were only considered keepers out of desperation to end up with something! I agree, I bet you are well past 100 for what the rest of us would be proud to have taken!

Good luck this weekend, Bob but I think you are way to hard on yourself!

Thanks DD for the vote of Confidence, But seriously, I just haven't been able to get that dang Ghosting problem I am obsessed with.

+1 on what Pat said.

If you took the best of those 500 @#$%^&* shots and posted it, I bet a whole lot of people here would wish they could get one that good. You are going to be your worst critic.

Pat

Thanks again, guys and perhaps I am my own worst critic---aren't we all?---I guess that is what keeps us in the game.

On a positive note: I was out shooting at 6:00 am this morning and I think I got some winners. I shot about 700 frames and no ghosting. The birds were very active and I even had one land on my coffee cup. The main thing I changed was my shutter speed, i took it back up to 1/250th and I placed three lights on the bird and one on the background. I am still uploading them, so give me a couple of hours and I'll get a few more posted, Until then, Here is one. Thanks again for the encouraging words.




Bob

[ddt0725]

On a positive note: I was out shooting at 6:00 am this morning and I think I got some winners. I shot about 700 frames and no ghosting. The birds were very active and I even had one land on my coffee cup. The main thing I changed was my shutter speed, i took it back up to 1/250th and I placed three lights on the bird and one on the background. I am still uploading them, so give me a couple of hours and I'll get a few posted. Thanks again for the encouraging words.


Bob

Congrats on a very successful morning! I am looking forward to seeing the results!

[dsiegel5151]

Nice hummer! That may be my favorite. I was really excited about trying hummers again this year, but with the drought in Missouri, I have had so many other animals (mammals, bees, wasps) on my feeders other than hummers to make a serious effort. Most mornings I find my feeders on the ground with a broken chain. I assume raccoons are doing this, as the squirrels have never been strong enough to break my chains in the past.

[Joel Eade]

You may be on to something

Thanks DD for the vote of Confidence, But seriously, I just haven't been able to get that dang Ghosting problem I am obsessed with.

Thanks again, guys and perhaps I am my own worst critic---aren't we all?---I guess that is what keeps us in the game.

On a positive note: I was out shooting at 6:00 am this morning and I think I got some winners. I shot about 700 frames and no ghosting. The birds were very active and I even had one land on my coffee cup. The main thing I changed was my shutter speed, i took it back up to 1/250th and I placed three lights on the bird and one on the background. I am still uploading them, so give me a couple of hours and I'll get a few more posted, Until then, Here is one. Thanks again for the encouraging words.

Bob

Super image, a Rufous I presume, really very very nice......problem solved

[Mark Elberson]

Bob

This is fantastic Bob! I hope you plan on making an enlargement of this if you have not done so already!!

[bob williams]

This is fantastic Bob! I hope you plan on making an enlargement of this if you have not done so already!!

Thanks Mark---No printing yet; I'm going to see what else the weekend brings.

[Jayson]

Thanks Mark---No printing yet; I'm going to see what else the weekend brings.

Bob, Adoramapix has a great sale right now on prints. I believe 16x20s are $5.

[bob williams]

Bob, Adoramapix has a great sale right now on prints. I believe 16x20s are $5.

There ya go DD, Thanks Jayson, great tip.