Bird beginner

rutt

OK, you guys made it look fun, so I went out birding yesterday in the late afternoon and early evening. Talk about frustrating! I saw all these great hawks and egrets but they were way too fast for me. I could have had all the seagulls I wanted.

I got these little shore birds. I think they are sandpipers, but what do I know. I think Ginger has taken a lot of pictures of them, all better than these.





There seems to be a steep learning curve here.

lynnma

rutt wrote:

OK, you guys made it look fun, so I went out birding yesterday in the late afternoon and early evening. Talk about frustrating! I saw all these great hawks and egrets but they were way too fast for me. I could have had all the seagulls I wanted.

I got these little shore birds. I think they are sandpipers, but what do I know. I think Ginger has taken a lot of pictures of them, all better than these.

There seems to be a steep learning curve here.

I like the light in number one, I like the composition as well.. number 2 leaves me feeling a little flat...

rutt

lynnma wrote:

number 2 leaves me feeling a little flat...

You should see the ones I didn't post. As I said, this bird photography is hard. Those who do it well deserve a lot of respect.

ginger_55

, Was it fun, Rutt? Did you sit on the sand patiently?

Funny, I like #2 best, the first one does not leave me flat, I like the wings flapping. Funny, the shallow DOF bothers me at first glance, with the comp, probably all the things that Lynn likes.

There are some things I might have done differently in the work up, but I will tell you that those photos make me want to do birding!

I finished off my kids in the lemonade stand.

Yes, I am sure they are sandpipers, however, I don't know shorebirds, and after I took mine and got home, I discovered that there are different kinds of sandpipers. No clue here.

I still have trouble, more than some, with birds in the air. They have never been the thing I have concentrated on, I have discovered that it helps a bit if they are in a good open place, flying against an immense wind (brings them to kind of a stand still), etc. I need to work on those. Ben and Jeff have kind of majored in them.

Keep up the birding, I love to see it. Inspiring, and I love sandpipers.

ginger

rutt

ginger_55 wrote:

, Was it fun, Rutt? Did you sit on the sand patiently?

I sat on an old log that has been there for years and waited and waited. A lot happened, but I wasn't fast enough for the best of it. And while I was watching, somebody got curious about me and kept checking me out:





She was much closer to shore than they usually come. The ones further out were catching and eating bluefish. I could see them lifting the fish out of the water to eat them, the tails against the water. She was foregoing the bluefish, I'm pretty sure it was because she was interested in me. 300mm on a 20D wasn't nearly enough horsepower to get good seals in the water from shore, even this time.

ginger_55

Sounds like a wonderful experience, Rutt. I have never seen a "real", out of the zoo, seal.

Also I notice from the clothes I see on people in your photos, it is cooler up there. It is a bit cooler here today.

Thanks for sharing this stuff. Nice way to spend a bit of time on the last days..........too.

ginger

Y'all, I am sorry I am not getting to everyone, I am going to get offline and go actually do something, since it is cool enough. Think it will be dogs to the park, but I have to get offline!

Have a good one!

Can't wait to see more nature shots, Rutt.

jwear

well Rutt so birds are not easy damm i wish someone told me that before wildlife is not easy .The shore bird shot #2 is in the center, not good for that one ,shot #1 is lots better but 2 busy and a good example of light the glow of gold in the wing edge but to me if the 2 oof birds were gone it would be better the seals #2 is better than one but too far away and in the center again.how about making the water blue and the seal red --only joking be careful Rutt this is additive and getting it right is not just hard :uhoh

rutt

uit

jwear wrote:

this is additive and getting it right is not just hard :uhoh

I knew that. You haven't seen the tons of really bad shots I've taken over the last year or so. But this time I thought I'd give you guys a chance to get even since I've been critiquing on this forum.

Those seals were really really really frustrating. The ones that were eating bluefish would have made the greatest shots, but they were at least twice as far away as the one I posted. I could just barely tell what they were up to though the viewfinder looking through the 300mm. The one I posted was really darn close...for a seal. It's amazing how good our eyes are, isn't it.

When the lens is just not long enough to fill the frame with the subject, I don't worry about centered composition, since, well who cares. It isn't going to be a great shot anyway and there is plenty of room to crop.

So, it really isn't like I never tried this before and didn't already have a lot of respect for you guys. Quite the contrary. And the sweet light color balance problem is something that keeps coming up with my own shots. Nature photography, landscapes, portraits, whatever, all have similar interesting issues as far as color balance in dusk/dawn light.

Osprey Whisperer

Not bad....not bad at all. Remember..."cropping" can be your FRIEND!! I like hte lighting in the first pic. Cropping that to cut out some of the "clutter" might have helped. If all else fails...photoshop out those birds...and deny ..deny deny..that you did it.

Good luck.

BMP (Bird Mad Photographer)

jwear

rutt wrote:

I knew that. You haven't seen the tons of really bad shots I've taken over the last year or so. But this time I thought I'd give you guys a chance to get even since I've been critiquing on this forum.

Those seals were really really really frustrating. The ones that were eating bluefish would have made the greatest shots, but they were at least twice as far away as the one I posted. I could just barely tell what they were up to though the viewfinder looking through the 300mm. The one I posted was really darn close...for a seal. It's amazing how good our eyes are, isn't it.

When the lens is just not long enough to fill the frame with the subject, I don't worry about centered composition, since, well who cares. It isn't going to be a great shot anyway and there is plenty of room to crop.

So, it really isn't like I never tried this before and didn't already have a lot of respect for you guys. Quite the contrary. And the sweet light color balance problem is something that keeps coming up with my own shots. Nature photography, landscapes, portraits, whatever, all have similar interesting issues as far as color balance in dusk/dawn light.

no lens is long enough and the light is very seldom right, so frustration is the hobby the critique of your pics was in jest Rutt -- like in family

rutt

jwear wrote:

no lens is long enough and the light is very seldom right, so frustration is the hobby the critique of your pics was in jest Rutt -- like in family

And that's just how I took it.

rutt

rutt wrote:

And that's just how I took it.

Oh, and I did I tell you how frustrating those seals were?

DavidTO

Speaking of bird newbies, here's a shorebird shot that I took earlier this week in Pismo Beach, CA (click on pic for EXIF). You're right, Rutt. It ain't easy!

bfjr

All I have to say is, glad to see your birdie pics/posts anytime
Guys like Harry et al (I to know it's not ) make it look to darn easy so confirmation of it's challenge are welcome words to me.

I wonder if all these animals know just how famous/infamous they are ?? :lol4