Lunch Break

Harryb · August 30, 2005

Hi you'll,

Just a few shots of one of our stars of the Wetlands on his lunch break

He has picked up his lunch

he finds a good table for his break

enjoys his snack in that osprey way

hears the click click click of a D2h

decides its time to find a table in a classier locale

bfjr · August 30, 2005

Hey Harry
Glad to see your Tree

and Osprey still giving you Photo ops

Midday light

??
I find your shutter comment interesting. DocJeff, JeffW and I found our Bolsa Osprey Sunday and although we were all shooting at more or less the same time, only when I dropped the hammer on the Machine Gun did he look right at me.
Like this:

I guess our respective cameras have another benefit, we can get that say cheese look without even asking :lol4

Ric Grupe · August 30, 2005

Terrible...
...table manners!

Very nice shots though!!!

Harryb · August 30, 2005

Hey Jeff,

It was late morning light so the sucker was backlit to all heck. If he had been an egret or heron I would have passed on the shot but I just can't pass up a raptor.

The D2h is a noisy camera. I can shoot with the D100 and the birds don't know I'm there. Take a shot with the D2h and they all start looking at me. The sound has scared more than one bird off.

bfjr · August 30, 2005

Harryb wrote:

Hey Jeff,

It was late morning light so the sucker was backlit to all heck. If he had been an egret or heron I would have passed on the shot but I just can't pass up a raptor.

The D2h is a noisy camera. I can shoot with the D100 and the birds don't know I'm there. Take a shot with the D2h and they all start looking at me. The sound has scared more than one bird off.

Here we go again it's me Harry , Ben

, lay off the Corona for a minute will ya

Jeff is the guy that's got a job !!
Yeah I have found that to be a big problem with raptors they love to hunt midday or at least very strong contrasty light. Is there any way to better handle it, like you I would not give up a shot of these great guys no matter the light

By the way my BB arrived today. Looks like a good piece of gear (well made) Geeezz I didn't know the fresnel was so big and it's actually a type of magnify glass. Get your flash yet??

Harryb · August 30, 2005

Ric Grupe wrote:

...table manners!

Very nice shots though!!!

Thanks Ric.

Trish323 · August 30, 2005

Harry,Last one looks just like mine only with about 300mm added..

...Great shots of the snob!

Harryb · August 30, 2005

bfjr wrote:

Here we go again it's me Harry , Ben , lay off the Corona for a minute will ya

Now you are becoming a pain. :pissed

Yeah I have found that to be a big problem with raptors they love to hunt midday or at least very strong contrasty light. Is there any way to better handle it, like you I would not give up a shot of these great guys no matter the light

At this point I have a fairly large set of Osprey shots so I'm going to be more selective. You're right about them hunting at midday. I shot from 6:30 AM until noon that day and the ospreys didn't appear until around 10:30 when the light was getting harsh. I'm going to shoot them on my late afternoon shots for now on. I'm hoping with the SB-800 and the BB that I will get better results (they came today). Ospreys are a pain to shoot because they have the white around the head and on the under belly along with their dark coloring. Its a challenge to set your exposure so that you don't blow out the whites while retaining detail in the very dark areas. I usually go for an ev setting where I just getting a bit of a blow out on the white (this also depends on the birds pose and what color is prominent).

By the way my BB arrived today. Looks like a good piece of gear (well made) Geeezz I didn't know the fresnel was so big and it's actually a type of magnify glass. Get your flash yet??

Now all I have to do is figure out how to use them. Flew on the Cafe shoots with them so I think I'm going to ask him a bunch of dumb questions.

Osprey Whisperer · August 30, 2005

Well done, Harry. Those are some nice captures of a pelican.

Yeah..I know it's not a pelican. I'm just so use to seeing these birds from last weekend...they are burnt into my brain.

I want me some raptors....NOW!!! I'm going to have to boost a car it seems.

BMP

bfjr · August 30, 2005

Originally Posted by bfjr
Here we go again it's me Harry , Ben , lay off the Corona for a minute will ya

Now you are becoming a pain. :pissed

Geeezz just share one with me, and the pain will go away :lol

At this point I have a fairly large set of Osprey shots so I'm going to be more selective. You're right about them hunting at midday. I shot from 6:30 AM until noon that day and the ospreys didn't appear until around 10:30 when the light was getting harsh. I'm going to shoot them on my late afternoon shots for now on. I'm hoping with the SB-800 and the BB that I will get better results (they came today). Ospreys are a pain to shoot because they have the white around the head and on the under belly along with their dark coloring. Its a challenge to set your exposure so that you don't blow out the whites while retaining detail in the very dark areas. I usually go for an ev setting where I just getting a bit of a blow out on the white (this also depends on the birds pose and what color is prominent).

Exactly how I been shooting and finding them. Also what I plan to do. Let's compare notes soon

Harryb wrote:

Now all I have to do is figure out how to use them. Flew on the Cafe shoots with them so I think I'm going to ask him a bunch of dumb questions.

Ok I'll let you ask the dumb questions then you can pass the smart answers to me. No reason we should both drive him crazy

Harryb · August 30, 2005

QUOTE=bfjr]Exactly how I been shooting and finding them. Also what I plan to do. Let's compare notes soon

Ok I'll let you ask the dumb questions then you can pass the smart answers to me. No reason we should both drive him crazy

Sounds good. I have lots of experience in being dumb.

jwear · August 30, 2005

the first and last are some i have that are almost the same . Funny some days they eat ,you can watch and other days they only eat alone .Ben and i chased this guy from 3 trees and then we let him eat in peace

and i am finding it very hard to get the right exposer on them to white and too brown

oh yes this is Jeff the guy that has to work :cry

Rohirrim · August 31, 2005

Nice Series Harry!

Damn that sun anyway! Doesn't it know that it should always be at the photographers back not the birds!

Michiel de Brieder · August 31, 2005

5 and 6 are awesome Harry!!! The composition on those is quite marvellous! (I'll not comment on the sharpness and colors anymore, you know it's awesome

)

Awesome pics ol' man!! :lol

Harryb · September 1, 2005

Trish323 wrote:

Harry,Last one looks just like mine only with about 300mm added.....Great shots of the snob!

Thanks Trish. We do have to get you more reach.

Harryb · September 1, 2005

Bird Man Photographer wrote:

Well done, Harry. Those are some nice captures of a pelican. Yeah..I know it's not a pelican. I'm just so use to seeing these birds from last weekend...they are burnt into my brain. I want me some raptors....NOW!!! I'm going to have to boost a car it seems.

BMP

Thanks Mike. I can see that we can no longer allow you to shoot pelicans. Pelicans on the brain can be a serious drawback to your photography.

Harryb · September 1, 2005

jwear wrote:

the first and last are some i have that are almost the same . Funny some days they eat ,you can watch and other days they only eat alone .Ben and i chased this guy from 3 trees and then we let him eat in peace and i am finding it very hard to get the right exposer on them to white and too brown oh yes this is Jeff the guy that has to work :cry

Hey Jeff,

There have been many of times when I have chased after ospreys going from tree to tree. They have the amazing ability of switching trees and to keep backlit while doing so.

They are a very tough exposure. Unless you get them in some excellent light you will have to choose from underexposing the dark areas or over expsoing the whites. I usually leans towards avoiding OEs and bring ing out the shadow detail in my post work.

Harryb · September 1, 2005

Rohirrim wrote:

Nice Series Harry!

Damn that sun anyway! Doesn't it know that it should always be at the photographers back not the birds!

Thanks Steve. We do have to teach these birds to be more cooperative:D

Harryb · September 1, 2005

Michiel de Brieder wrote:

5 and 6 are awesome Harry!!! The composition on those is quite marvellous! (I'll not comment on the sharpness and colors anymore, you know it's awesome)

Awesome pics ol' man!! :lol

Thanks Michiel. Its always good to hear from you.

Lunch Break

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