Post your best bird shots!

[Joel Eade]

Another HB, processed with Topaz Clean 3 for a painting type effect.

[Joel Eade]

Can't resist posting another one I was able to get him perched on a sprig of Baby's Breath

[ahab1372]

This immature male RTHB was perching on one of our deck chairs while we were eating lunch

And of course you have you camera always at the lunch table? ;-)
Or did he wait for you to go and get it?
Great shots Joel, I like the unusual environment.

[Joel Eade]

And of course you have you camera always at the lunch table? ;-)
Or did he wait for you to go and get it?
Great shots Joel, I like the unusual environment.

Had it set up on a tripod waiting for an opportunity

[bob williams]

Can't resist posting another one I was able to get him perched on a sprig of Baby's Breath

Joel, I like this one with the baby's breath and the dark background really worked. I also liked the one before that you did with Topaz clean 3---a really nice effect except the software did something weird with the bird's eye. I didn't care too much for the one you did with Topaz simplify---there just wasn't enough photo or special effect to make it special---But I really liked the color in the background, was it one of your printed backgrounds?

[Joel Eade]

Joel, I like this one with the baby's breath and the dark background really worked. I also liked the one before that you did with Topaz clean 3---a really nice effect except the software did something weird with the bird's eye. I didn't care too much for the one you did with Topaz simplify---there just wasn't enough photo or special effect to make it special---But I really liked the color in the background, was it one of your printed backgrounds?

Thanks, it was a background I made with spray paint on a poster board.

[Joel Eade]

Northern Cardinal
1D4
700mm
ISO 800
1/320
f/7.1
580EXII + Better Beamer -2 1/3 stops ETTL

[ddt0725]

Can't resist posting another one I was able to get him perched on a sprig of Baby's Breath

I love all of them but I must say, this one is my top favorite!! Beautiful capture, Joel!

[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