Post your best bird shots!

[Brendan7]

One minor problem is that not enough space on the left, looks like you also clipped the tail a bit.

That's a side effect of handholding. Well, I'm saving for a Gitzo 3531 so hopefully we can eliminate these problems.

I like your compositionon the second one, but your main subject is underexposed. The background is too bright. Good luck next time and keep shooting.

thanks for the critique [H]


brendan

[BryanKing]

Bryan, with a feeder you can move it so that the sun is behind you. Your shot is quite underexposed especiall the subject, you need good light so that you can see the detail on the bird's colorful throat. Good luck next time!

Thanks Nate. I realized it was underexposed and I bumped it in DPP to get what I could out of it. Would it be possible to just use a little fill flash without going the multiple flash "freeze action" route? I prefer the more natural look. Also, I would like to see the wings of the hummingbird without freezing them, or an exposure too slow so they totally disappear. Any suggestions for shutter speed?

[Joel Eade]

Bryan,


you certainly can use one flash on camera for fill, you can try various manual settings or just let the camera do the work with ETTL and dial in negative compensation if needed. I would try manual at 1/16 output to start. See if you get f/7.1 or higher and shutter speed of 1/1000 or faster at whatever ISO you need. Get the sun behind you. This will help to get a sharp, well exposed body but won't freeze the wings. Use the center focusing point with AI servo mode and evaluative metering. Try if you can to prefocus where you think the bird will be. Also make some test shots of the feeder to adjust the exposure best you can before your subject arrives...look at the histogram to make sure it's correct (ie not underxposed). Also be aware of not only the sun angle but the background and place the feeder accordingly.


Good shooting!


Joel

[Oren]

Brendan, why do you need Gitzo 3531? this one supports 18kg.


Why not a Gitzo GT1531? it supports 8kg and weigh much less than the 3531.

[Brendan7]

Brendan, why do you need Gitzo 3531? this one supports 18kg.


Why not a Gitzo GT1531? it supports 8kg and weigh much less than the 3531.

Weight rating is a deceiving number. The 3531 is "rated" to 18kg, but you wouldn't want to mount 40 pounds of equipment on it; it wouldn't break but wouldn't be stable either. In the same way, a 1531 could in theory support a 300 f/4 and 7D but the stability and performance would be greatly compromised. The 3 series Gitzos are made for lenses 300mm and up. 2 series, 200mm to 400mm max. 1 series tripods aren't meant for use with telephotos at all.


brendan

[DavidEccleston]

One of our better bird shots... likely due to it being one of the few using the 85mm f/1.8 instead of the 50mm f/1.8. I realize the background leaves something to be desired.


T1i + 85mm f/1.8 @ f/2, 1/2500, ISO 100.


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.28.63/chickdee_5F00_feeder.JPG[/img]


And a slightly tighter crop:


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.28.63/chickdee_5F00_feeder2.JPG[/img]

[M.Mobin]

<div align="left"]<span style="font-size: xx-small;"]Lense: Canon 70-200 F/4 IS

Camera Model: Canon EOS 7D

Image Date: 2010:01:23 15:21:07

Flash Used: No

Focal Length: 200.0mm

CCD Width: 4.00mm

Exposure Time: 0.0008 s (1/1250)

Aperture: f/5.0

Focus Distance: 4.47m

ISO equiv: 200

White Balance: Auto

Metering Mode: Matrix

Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)



</div>

[JJphoto]

M.Mobin


nice picture! I like the lighting and the background very much!


two questions, how did you measure the focus distance which was 4.47M and what's Matrix(metering mode)? thank you!(sorry if the questions are too simple, I'm pretty new)

[Brendan7]

Very nice capture! If I'm not mistaken that's a Eurasian White Pelican... Pelicans are my absolute favorite birds. Just had to put that out there [H]


brendan

[M.Mobin]

<span id="result_box" class="short_text"]<span title="????"]Hello


<span id="result_box" class="short_text"]<span title="????"]
<span title="??? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???."]1-This distance measure is the camera that is visible in the photo information(exif).


2-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metering_mode








50D+sigma 150-500