itty bitty teeny weeny BIFs

Harryb · April 22, 2005

Hey you'll,

Last week I decided to try to get some BIFs of some smaller birds. As luck would have it there were a buch of Least Terns in the Wetlands. The Least Tern got its name because its the smallest North American Tern with a length of 8 inches and a wingspan of 20 inches.

Here's our star on the ground

they hang out together

on to the bIFs. These weren't easy to get and I won't embarass myself by telling you how many shots I had to try to get these few shots

MuskyDude · April 22, 2005

It's your tern
Nice Harry, great job with the exposure. #2 for some reason is my fav.

AJ

Ric Grupe · April 22, 2005

Looks like an exercise...
...class for Zorro impersonators! :oogle

Nice group of shots of a very cool bird.

Kirwin · April 22, 2005

Hi Harry,

I'm always fascinated by theses little guys. My first run-in with terns were in Cancun. Curious how they always "roost" or stand in a flying formation pattern. Great series.

Regards,
Kirwin, not Kerwin:D

Harryb · April 22, 2005

MuskyDude wrote:

Nice Harry, great job with the exposure. #2 for some reason is my fav.

AJ

Thanks AJ. I've taken better pictures but few that were as difficult as these.

ginger_55 · April 22, 2005

Harry, I love them, but someone is going to have to post an egret......this site needs an egret a page, it is our mascot.

Now these birds are our dessert. They are soo cool. I have seen them, or the skimmers, and in mass. I couldn't get them. That was winter, I don't think there are any birds in mass around here right now. They are all off thinking X rated thoughts, then PG.

I have wanted to ask you, on the bigger birds, when you have gotten a whole flock in your lens, is that with a long lens? Or do you switch? I saw a flock awhile back, got all excited as I like those better than single birds.

I put the lens up to my eye and thought "Harry will love this", I could only get 2 1/2 birds into my lens, the 300 with/without extender. I was so stunned, I didn't even shoot.

I have been meaning to ask ever since.

Also, I have wondered if you were OK, was delighted to see your post.

happy, happy,
great photos, love those little birds.
i am going to a seminar tomorrow, but I feel like going out to the inlet today to see if there are any birds there now. haven't been in a couple of months.

ginger

(Do you all know they make towelettes for bug stuff, Deep Woods.)

ginger_55 · April 22, 2005

uh, I am guessing that your time of day is not dawn by your numbers. I have been guessing that for awhile. My numbers are nothing like that as the sun goes down.

Am I correct? Does that have anything to do with anything? I feel so trapped at home until the sweet light, but am I? As far as photography, I mean.

ginger

Harryb · April 22, 2005

Ric Grupe wrote:

...class for Zorro impersonators! :oogle

Nice group of shots of a very cool bird.

Thanks Ric. You will notice thats these suckers have black eyes that are righht in the middle of the black band of feathers. They are cool but a riyal pain in the butt to shoot. I don't think I got one clear eye in any of my shots. :uhoh

DoctorIt · April 22, 2005

Harry, that bokeh in the group shot of them flying is making me hungry!!! mmmmmmm sooooo smooth!!!

Great set, those are some slick birdies!

DeanMcM · April 22, 2005

Wow.. excellent Harry
Excellent Harry...

How do you do that with a NIKON, sitting on the beach sipping a nice cold one?

Great stuff!!!

Dean

Harryb · April 22, 2005

Kirwin wrote:

Hi Harry,

I'm always fascinated by theses little guys. My first run-in with terns were in Cancun. Curious how they always "roost" or stand in a flying formation pattern. Great series.

Regards,
Kirwin, not Kerwin:D

Hey Kirwin, not Kerwin

They are very interesting. The one shot that I really wanted to get was when they hit the water after hovering for a bit. I just kept missing that shot.

Thanks for stopping by.

bfjr · April 22, 2005

As Always Pristine

so sharp

Come on pass me a tracking tip for bif's?? You pick em up in flight on the ground and wait. Or kinda like shootting clay, kinda lead em

Be a sport help my BIFs look presentable :lol4

Trish323 · April 22, 2005

Harryb wrote:

Thanks Ric. You will notice thats these suckers have black eyes that are righht in the middle of the black band of feathers. They are cool but a riyal pain in the butt to shoot. I don't think I got one clear eye in any of my shots. :uhoh

Excellent!

great use of your down time!! Work is for the birds!!

Khaos · April 22, 2005

See, now this is why I tell the wife why I need to quit work; so I can have the time to spend trying to get BIFs like Harry.

She wanted to know who the $(^*& Harry was and if he was the reason we're in debt from all this L glass I've been buying.:D

Phil U. · April 22, 2005

those are some cool looking little guys. I'll bet they're quick too. #2 is great. (not taking away from the difficulty level or the quality of the BIFs - it's just that I like the look of that one)

gus · April 22, 2005

Harry the bird man...

excellent as always.

Harryb · April 23, 2005

Ginger
Hey Ginger,

If you want egrets go take a look at Trish's post for some ultimate egret shots.

I've shoot egrets, ibises, spoonbills, cranes and storks flying in a flock before. Herons don't seem to fly together. You just have to start tracking them before they get in too close. When they get too close its real hard to get it composed well. You will usually have some portion of one of the birds at the edges of your frame that you will have to crop or clone out.

I'm doing fine and thanks for stopping by.

ginger_55 · April 23, 2005

i think I saw it yesterday, will look again. I didn't comment?

I saw these egrets yesterday. Am playing with them. What do you think?

"Egrets Came To Town"

I like this one best so far. They were terribly hard to photograph with so many distractions around them. I wanted to buy one. They are 29.00......
I am trying to use them in the patterns and repetitions challenge, am calling it two.

When I post the series, is it a "nature" post?

You mean you have shot a large flock of large birds, in the distance, with like a 400 lens? Instead of changing lenses. Hmmmm. I remember instances where they were coming and the lens wouldn't focus until they were closer. I think I finally went to manual, and they quit coming.

ginger (thanks for the thanks)

Harryb · April 23, 2005

Hey Ginger
[

ginger_55 wrote:

i think I saw it yesterday, will look again. I didn't comment?

They are definitely worth a second look

I saw these egrets yesterday. Am playing with them. What do you think?

"Egrets Came To Town"

I love it. I think it will be a great challenge entry. I have to laugh because two of those guys flank my front door

You mean you have shot a large flock of large birds, in the distance, with like a 400 lens? Instead of changing lenses. Hmmmm. I remember instances where they were coming and the lens wouldn't focus until they were closer. I think I finally went to manual, and they quit coming.

Depending on the day and the sky there will be times when there's not enough contrast for the camera to lock focus. I try to start tracking them from before they get into shooting distance so I have a head start to get my focus locked.

Harryb · April 23, 2005

DoctorIt wrote:

Harry, that bokeh in the group shot of them flying is making me hungry!!! mmmmmmm sooooo smooth!!!

Great set, those are some slick birdies!

Thanks Eric. The bokeh is one of the reasons the 300mm is my main lens these days.

Harryb · April 23, 2005

Dean

DeanMcM wrote:

Excellent Harry... How do you do that with a NIKON, sitting on the beach sipping a nice cold one?

Great stuff!!!

Dean

Hey Dean,

I may have been sipping a beer but I sure as heck wasn't sitting. You got work to get shots of those suckers. It wouldn't have been possible to get those shots with a Canon, those ugly white lenses would have scared the heck out of those little fellas.

Thanks for stopping by Dean.

Mike-Photos · April 23, 2005

Hi Harry...
Great pics! Especially the second one, which quite a few people are partial to.
I have two lenses longer than my old F828, so I'm also able to take bird shots now. However, I haven't ventured into the wilds like you can, spring is slower here in Toronto.

I am also appreciating just how good you are! Taking bird pics is hard work, especially when they are white or white and black.

I'll post a link and some samples from my first attempts. I must say, using a DSLR was hard work at first, but it's so much more flexible, and much more capable.

I know everyone says that it's the photographer that counts, but I think it's both the person and the tools they use in combination. You can't give a racing driver a Toyota Camry and expect them to win a grand prix!

Harryb · April 23, 2005

Ben

bfjr wrote:

As Always Pristine so sharp

Come on pass me a tracking tip for bif's?? You pick em up in flight on the ground and wait. Or kinda like shootting clay, kinda lead em

Be a sport help my BIFs look presentable :lol4

Hey Ben,

What I try to do is catch them as the come in. Usually I start tracking them as they approach. This gives me some time to lock on my focus and I just follow them as they approach and start shooting right before they are in optimal range and keep shooting as they get closer and closer. You want to take some time and study their flight patterns. This will help you predict what they will do and makes the tracking a bit easier.

photoshow · April 24, 2005

Nice shots, I can't even add up how much memmory I have burned up on Turns, Cranes, Egrets, Herons and Avocets in flight and I have yet to get a shot of one I like.

The Terns, Avocets and Stilts are really, really fast. Tracking them with my 80-400 VR is a trick in its self.

Harryb · April 24, 2005

Trish323 wrote:

Excellent! great use of your down time!! Work is for the birds!!

Thanks Trish and you're right about work.

Harryb · April 24, 2005

Khaos wrote:

See, now this is why I tell the wife why I need to quit work; so I can have the time to spend trying to get BIFs like Harry.

She wanted to know who the $(^*& Harry was and if he was the reason we're in debt from all this L glass I've been buying.:D

:lol4 Don't blame you "L" glass woes on me I'm a Nikonion. Its much easier to sneak black lenses into the house than those white lenses. They are too easy to spot.

Harryb · April 24, 2005

Phil U. wrote:

those are some cool looking little guys. I'll bet they're quick too. #2 is great. (not taking away from the difficulty level or the quality of the BIFs - it's just that I like the look of that one)

Hey Phil,

Folks seem to be taking to that shot. Must be those upturned wings.

They are quick little sickers but they do hover in the air as they are getting ready to splash down into the water.

Harryb · April 24, 2005

Humungus wrote:

Harry the bird man... excellent as always.

Thanks a lot Gus. I appreciate the kind words.

ginger_55 · April 24, 2005

Harryb wrote:

Hey Dean,

I may have been sipping a beer but I sure as heck wasn't sitting. You got work to get shots of those suckers. It wouldn't have been possible to get those shots with a Canon, those ugly white lenses would have scared the heck out of those little fellas.

Thanks for stopping by Dean.

I know for a fact that all birds can see white. I have white hair, always wear white, and use that long canon lens. I have lots of shots of birds staring at me like they are in shock.

They built a thing for dogs to use to get out of pools and they are selling it by saying that all animals see white. I am adding birds to that and do wonder at Canon. Don't know what to do about my shirts. Could dye my hair.

Harry, do birds see your red shirt?

ginger

Harryb · April 24, 2005

Mike
Hey Mike,

Glad you liked the pics. Birds are difficult. I've been shooting them for the past 10 months and I'm just beginning to get it down.

I'm looking ofrward to seeing your shots when you get some better weather. How are you liking the 7D? That's a very interesting camera and I've heard good reports about it.

Harryb · April 24, 2005

photoshow wrote:

Nice shots, I can't even add up how much memmory I have burned up on Turns, Cranes, Egrets, Herons and Avocets in flight and I have yet to get a shot of one I like.

The Terns, Avocets and Stilts are really, really fast. Tracking them with my 80-400 VR is a trick in its self.

Hey Bobby,

Thanks. I haven't shot any avocets (they don't hang out here) but I've tried my hand with stilts and terns and they are tough.

I've done a lot of shooting with the 80-400 and it was my main wildlife lens until I got the 300mm/f4. I've gotten some good bifs with it but it takes a lot of practice. It does better with my D2H but it was a real trial with my D100.

itty bitty teeny weeny BIFs

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