First attempt at birds
Posted 02/03/2011 - 21:33
Link
I like the last one.
Wish the birds would arrive in my garden
Just out of interest what camera lens did you use?
Regards
Chris
Wish the birds would arrive in my garden
Just out of interest what camera lens did you use?
Regards
Chris
Posted 02/03/2011 - 21:44
Link
Made a good start. Looking at the exif, some shutter speeds are slow. You'd get many more keepers if you up the ISO, enabling a much faster shutter speed.
As to composition, I try to get pics when the bird is not on the feeder. Just think they look more "natural", like your last one. If there isn't anywhere suitable handy, you could always rig up am offcut branch or something beside the feeder. Take the pics when they land on that.
Hope that helps
As to composition, I try to get pics when the bird is not on the feeder. Just think they look more "natural", like your last one. If there isn't anywhere suitable handy, you could always rig up am offcut branch or something beside the feeder. Take the pics when they land on that.
Hope that helps
Posted 02/03/2011 - 21:53
Link
Last few are better because the background is not too bright, some of the first are spoilt to me by the backgrounds.
Posted 02/03/2011 - 21:58 - Helpful Comment
Link
Woo hoo - more nice birdie dudies
Now I am no expert but I will try to help with constructive comments, these are not meant to be criticisms.
I have not opened the photo's and enlarged them or checked the exif info for camera, lens, iso info etc so I am taking a bit of a guess so apologies if I am wrong.
1. I like the pose of the little sparrow - I havent't looked closely but there seems to be a little degardation possible with noise/ noise reduction/ sharpening but this goes with 'birding' except in the best light.
2. Again a nice pose - well captrued - it seems to be quite a crop and the noise/ sharpening are showing but the main thing for me is that the background is almost totally clear - a nice capture.
3. Same as above - a nice 'pose' by the sparrow and a nice out of focus background.
4. Now this looks better in terms of noise - the light seems to have improved - there may be a slight lack of hsarpness probably down to the movement of the saprrow, could be a slightly missed focus (maybe not) but theres little fellas move a lot maybe not as much as the blue tits do but still they are quick.
5. I love the pose of the pigeon, the back ground is not as good as the others, the eye does not quite seem sharp either - whilst this may seem harsh I like the photo and only raise these issues to try to help - lovely colours as you have mentioned. I think that the camera may have focused on the chest not the head which may explain this.
If you take a look at my pictures you will be able to find plenty of criticisms or comments to level at mine - they are far from perfect - for a first attempt yours above are very very good.
My own hints for biridng are as follows.
1. use a prime lens if - I don't know what lens you used but I have found primes to be better IQ and in birds you really notice this. Zoom lenses can be good but some are just not - my Sigma 70-300 at 300mm cannot hold a candle in terms of sharpness to my ancient Tokina 300mm prime and it only cost £16.00 - no need for massive investment although this helps if you have the cash.
2. You appear to have avoided the temptation to follow the birds around with your camera and seem to have picked your spot for them and waited - if not then you have been lucky. I once read an article by Steve Bloom who advised that even with his top class prime lenses by Canon he would pick an area he would anticipate a bird would land, pre focus on it in manual focus and then wait for the bird to arrive - this technique seems to have improved my pictures - they have a way to go yet.
3. Whilst I find that in low light it is often the movement of the bird causing me a problem rather than camera shake if you do have camera shake whilst using a telephoto lens try placing one hand on which ever part of the camera or lens is immediatley above the tripod head (assuming you are using one) as the helps steady the whole lot.
4. Aim for at least 250sec or higher shutter speed and high iso if need be to achieve the shutter speed, as Andy Rouse states it is better to have a sharp noisy picture than a blurred picture without noise - even when using a tripod so the shutter speed to focal length is not an issue the little ones such as blue tits rarely sit still however, they seem to land on a perch near to the feeders have a moment without movement before flying to the feeder - seems to work for me and you have a capture often on a tree branch rather than a feeder which many prefer.
Hope this helps
Stu
OOPS - it took me so long to type this others have already covered some areas I have mentioned.
Now I am no expert but I will try to help with constructive comments, these are not meant to be criticisms.
I have not opened the photo's and enlarged them or checked the exif info for camera, lens, iso info etc so I am taking a bit of a guess so apologies if I am wrong.
1. I like the pose of the little sparrow - I havent't looked closely but there seems to be a little degardation possible with noise/ noise reduction/ sharpening but this goes with 'birding' except in the best light.
2. Again a nice pose - well captrued - it seems to be quite a crop and the noise/ sharpening are showing but the main thing for me is that the background is almost totally clear - a nice capture.
3. Same as above - a nice 'pose' by the sparrow and a nice out of focus background.
4. Now this looks better in terms of noise - the light seems to have improved - there may be a slight lack of hsarpness probably down to the movement of the saprrow, could be a slightly missed focus (maybe not) but theres little fellas move a lot maybe not as much as the blue tits do but still they are quick.
5. I love the pose of the pigeon, the back ground is not as good as the others, the eye does not quite seem sharp either - whilst this may seem harsh I like the photo and only raise these issues to try to help - lovely colours as you have mentioned. I think that the camera may have focused on the chest not the head which may explain this.
If you take a look at my pictures you will be able to find plenty of criticisms or comments to level at mine - they are far from perfect - for a first attempt yours above are very very good.
My own hints for biridng are as follows.
1. use a prime lens if - I don't know what lens you used but I have found primes to be better IQ and in birds you really notice this. Zoom lenses can be good but some are just not - my Sigma 70-300 at 300mm cannot hold a candle in terms of sharpness to my ancient Tokina 300mm prime and it only cost £16.00 - no need for massive investment although this helps if you have the cash.
2. You appear to have avoided the temptation to follow the birds around with your camera and seem to have picked your spot for them and waited - if not then you have been lucky. I once read an article by Steve Bloom who advised that even with his top class prime lenses by Canon he would pick an area he would anticipate a bird would land, pre focus on it in manual focus and then wait for the bird to arrive - this technique seems to have improved my pictures - they have a way to go yet.
3. Whilst I find that in low light it is often the movement of the bird causing me a problem rather than camera shake if you do have camera shake whilst using a telephoto lens try placing one hand on which ever part of the camera or lens is immediatley above the tripod head (assuming you are using one) as the helps steady the whole lot.
4. Aim for at least 250sec or higher shutter speed and high iso if need be to achieve the shutter speed, as Andy Rouse states it is better to have a sharp noisy picture than a blurred picture without noise - even when using a tripod so the shutter speed to focal length is not an issue the little ones such as blue tits rarely sit still however, they seem to land on a perch near to the feeders have a moment without movement before flying to the feeder - seems to work for me and you have a capture often on a tree branch rather than a feeder which many prefer.
Hope this helps
Stu
OOPS - it took me so long to type this others have already covered some areas I have mentioned.
Posted 02/03/2011 - 22:15
Link
Thanks for the advise really helpful. will have another go and try them , has for the pidgeon i think i focussed on the breast should i have focussed on the eye, and i was using the 70 200 first and was a bit short that why i had to crop a lot ,changed to my 55 300 was better for length all handheld
Posted 02/03/2011 - 22:43
Link
The pigeon picture works well for several reasons (colour, light, composition, pose, near-perfect sharpness (perfect had it been on the eye), but also because it fills the frame. The other pictures are more feeder than bird.
If your lens won't allow you to shoot wide-open (to increase shutter speed and blur the background) and also to crop ruthlessly, then you will need a new lens - if you want to shoot birds seriously.
Good luck
G
If your lens won't allow you to shoot wide-open (to increase shutter speed and blur the background) and also to crop ruthlessly, then you will need a new lens - if you want to shoot birds seriously.
Good luck
G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Posted 02/03/2011 - 22:44
Link
These look a bit too cropped for me, except for the woodpigeon, which has a great pose and an interesting background. Strange crop ratio though - was there something distracting at the bottom of the pic?
In case you want to check his portfolio, George has also been trying his hand at bird pictures, and like you, he also focussed on the breast - but it was excusable in his case
In case you want to check his portfolio, George has also been trying his hand at bird pictures, and like you, he also focussed on the breast - but it was excusable in his case
Posted 02/03/2011 - 22:49
Link
I think Pentaxophile means that the pictures have been cropped to the point where image quality has suffered, and I don't disagree. Compositionally, they need more cropping (IMHO!).
G
G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Posted 02/03/2011 - 23:27
Link
Quote:
George has also been trying his hand at bird pictures, and like you, he also focussed on the breast
Tremendous shot GeorgeGeorge has also been trying his hand at bird pictures, and like you, he also focussed on the breast
As for Nipples..er Nippers shots I think everything that can be said has been said.
Posted 02/03/2011 - 23:31
Link
Pentaxophile wrote:
These look a bit too cropped for me, except for the woodpigeon, which has a great pose and an interesting background. Strange crop ratio though - was there something distracting at the bottom of the pic?
In case you want to check his portfolio, George has also been trying his hand at bird pictures, and like you, he also focussed on the breast - but it was excusable in his case
A washing line
These look a bit too cropped for me, except for the woodpigeon, which has a great pose and an interesting background. Strange crop ratio though - was there something distracting at the bottom of the pic?
In case you want to check his portfolio, George has also been trying his hand at bird pictures, and like you, he also focussed on the breast - but it was excusable in his case
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1[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/nipper2/IMGP1242.jpg[/IMG]
2[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/nipper2/IMGP1220.jpg[/IMG]
3[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/nipper2/IMGP1245.jpg[/IMG]
4[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/nipper2/IMGP1236.jpg[/IMG]
5[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa349/nipper2/IMGP12402.jpg[/IMG]