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Apr 25, 2010 21:52
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I was only able to find gulls again today, but they at least make shooting at 200mm look good with minimal cropping.   
scottch fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Apr 26, 2010 |
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Apr 26, 2010 02:01
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I just got my camera, a Pentax K10D on Friday, and the only lens that has yet arrived is a Sigma 100-300. So I went out today to the weir on the river to shoot things that are far away, such as birds. I'm still very new at this, so I know it will be a while before I get anything nearly as good as the majority of what's been posted here, but I'm pretty happy with these pictures.   Also, Corvids and Accipitriformes are assholes. I saw many such birds today, but as soon as I brought up the camera they took off. There was a raven sitting on a headstone in a very small graveyard, and from my perspective the shot would have included him and about a dozen various gravemarkers against a bleak and cold background. But as I'm lining up the shot, he takes off. Bastard!
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Apr 26, 2010 05:34
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I had a couple more shots which I thought were good, but turns out I missed focus on the eyes   
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Apr 26, 2010 06:17
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diarrhea for girls posted:drat, these are just surreal. I know this is a lot but I had a really good bird day today! This is as close as I could get before the bugger took off:  A Birdy Love Story: In four parts    
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Apr 29, 2010 03:49
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TheCaptain posted:I know this is a lot but I had a really good bird day today! Thanks bud! I gotta agree with you about having a good day with the birds! You got some killer shots. I'm really like the Blue Jay ones! The love story one is just  There was a jay hanging out near my house today that waited until I put on a macro lens to get up close to a caterpillar, to show itself and then decided to pour some salt in the wound and landed about 3 feet away from me. Ugh! Jays are mean. --- I picked up a Sigma 50-500 "Bigma" (the older one, not the new one with OS) last week and the weather is finally cooperating enough to let me bust it out on the birds. Here's a female Northern Cardinal that has been eluding me forever because she's very skittish. I got really lucky on this one being in focus before she took off. I have no idea what she was eating to get the green in her feathers, some gushy bug I imagine. 
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Apr 29, 2010 04:28
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TheCaptain posted:A Birdy Love Story: In four parts Hey, how do you get a group of photos on the same canvas like that? I don't even know what it's called so I've been having a hell of a time finding a guide on it. Those shots are excellent, as well.
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Apr 29, 2010 05:43
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tuyop posted:Hey, how do you get a group of photos on the same canvas like that? I don't even know what it's called so I've been having a hell of a time finding a guide on it. Traditionally, that would have been called a "contact sheet", because you laid the negatives in contact with the photo paper and exposed the whole thing at once. You can do it really fast in Photoshop, or even set up an action if you like.
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Apr 29, 2010 05:45
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diarrhea for girls posted:--- drat, I wish I could get 1/10th as close as that to either of the Cardinals near my place. They always bugger off when I'm 100 feet away
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Apr 29, 2010 14:37
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So I found a nest in one of my bushes in the backyard today. I'm positive the birds were there today since I heard sounds that were similar to the ones my Cockatiel made when he was a baby and I saw two birds flying in and out of the bush probably delivering food. I checked just now (6:55 PM Pacific) and there's nothing in it. Is this normal or have they abandoned it? I'd really like to observe them from a distance and get some shots.
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Apr 30, 2010 02:56
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sensy v2.0 fucked around with this message at 17:46 on May 3, 2010 |
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Apr 30, 2010 09:49
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Tongsy posted:drat, I wish I could get 1/10th as close as that to either of the Cardinals near my place. They always bugger off when I'm 100 feet away I said the same thing in a post after TheCaptain posted some cool Cardinal shots and then a couple days later I was having all sorts of luck with'em! Getting a bird feeder or at least throwing a bunch of seed around on the ground in a certain area will get them sticking around a bit longer. Bribery gets you everything!
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Apr 30, 2010 16:48
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I can always count on geese.     
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May 1, 2010 15:04
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scottch posted:I was only able to find gulls again today, but they at least make shooting at 200mm look good with minimal cropping. I like these a lot. I always find bird photos more interesting when the background is nice/provides color contrast, even if the bird is relatively small in the picture. Anyhow, I'm starting to see more birds in the Northeast again:    
Ingraman fucked around with this message at 03:29 on May 2, 2010 |
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May 2, 2010 03:20
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I seem to be better able to focus on a bird's rear end than on its eye. Or the folded wing.  TomR posted:I can always count on geese.  I think I'm going to do a lot of practicing on geese; I have a dozen pictures from today of a raptor, possibly a Peregrine falcon, in which the tree's branches are crisp, and the bird is fuzzy. 
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May 2, 2010 04:57
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A few from yesterday:  And my first woodpecker-in-flight shot: 
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May 2, 2010 17:02
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Ingraman posted:I like these a lot. I always find bird photos more interesting when the background is nice/provides color contrast, even if the bird is relatively small in the picture. Thanks. That's a fairly pedestrian location for Newfoundland, but it snowed yesterday and no vegetation is growing yet, so there's not much else around, AFAIK. Though I'm limited by my 200mm, I can't wait to try shooting more birds in more interesting locales. Your first and last are graet. I like that the action and pose of the bird suits having it to the right of the frame, rather than the usual frame-where-he-lookin'. The first is just crazy.
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May 2, 2010 17:54
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Pestering the wood ducks again: 
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May 2, 2010 20:37
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  Sky looks blown because of the fog on the second, sadly.
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May 3, 2010 03:19
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I don't have any bird pictures to share, but I thought I'd rub something in everyone's face. I graduated with my undergrad comp sci degree. My parents for a present got me on a boat trip with Dr. Jerome Jackson through Ding Darling . Dr. Jackson is an 
Bahama.Llama fucked around with this message at 04:35 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 03:20
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Slo-Tek posted:Pestering the wood ducks again: That duck looks so happy! I really like that one. Bahama.Llama posted:I don't have any bird pictures to share, but I thought I'd rub something in everyone's face. Haha, what a cool present! I'm definitely envious! When are you going? I expect a lot of photos from you.  --- After being grounded for 2 days due to some outrageous flooding rains, the birds were eager to stretch their wings.   I think it's the same Mockingbird that's going for this bug, unfortunately it wasn't as sharp as I wanted but I held onto it anyways because well, it's neat.  A cold Robin.
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May 4, 2010 04:17
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For some reason, birds like to face right when I take pictures of them. Click here for the full 1024x681 image.  Click here for the full 1024x681 image.  Click here for the full 1024x681 image.
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May 5, 2010 01:03
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Who needs a telephoto when you have gray jay. 31mm on a kit lens, baby, oh yeah. This was last year when I was even worse than I am now. Should be fun this summer though, especially since I'll no longer be in a cast and could try baiting them to more interesting places.
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May 7, 2010 02:57
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diarrhea for girls posted:
That's a great shot. It's hard enough catching birds that aren't in flight, but catching one in pursuit is a great accomplishment. I just bought a house in January and one of the things I looked forward to most was having bird feeders. We got our first hummingbirds last night so I relaxed outside with a beer and my camera.  
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May 7, 2010 17:05
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BeastOfExmoor posted:a beer and my camera. Good looking shots! I really should set up a hummingbird feeder some day, I've only seen a few of them in the few years I've lived here but they have got to be one of the coolest backyard visitors. William T. Hornaday posted:
This shot is really nice, great looking bird! Good luck on the shooting this summer, scottch. I imagine things will be much easier! -- El Diablo visited my bird feeder today: 
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May 7, 2010 21:39
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diarrhea for girls posted:
Lovely little bastard. Your photos are so sharp you practically stabbed me in the face. BeastOfExmoor posted:We got our first hummingbirds last night so I relaxed outside with a beer and my camera. I love hummingbirds! These are great. Tragedy has struck me today. I've dropped my EF-S 55-250mm IS telephoto the other day. At first glance, there was only light cosmetic damage to the outside casing but I discovered today that while images come out just as sharp as before, the IS simply stopped working. For handholding is was pretty essential. I am looking into the repair option but I also think it might be a good to upgrade. I've been flirting with the Canon 100-400 IS but it's just too drat expensive. What would be a good interim birding lens that's a step up from the 55-250mm but that I can sell and trade up for a 100-400 when I'm in better financial shape. This has become one of my favorite hobbies and never fails to relax me when i'm in a bad mood. Something about the silly tittering around of birds just makes me smile. I really hope I can keep on doing it.
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May 8, 2010 01:06
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TheCaptain posted:Lovely little bastard. Your photos are so sharp you practically stabbed me in the face. If its primary function is for birding, I suspect you're shooting at a very fast shutter speed, anyway. Don't be afraid to sacrifice ISO for shutter speed, and try it out a few times. You may be able to do just fine with it, and then you can save up for a longer lens rather than set yourself back for a repair or a "good enough" lens in the interim.
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May 8, 2010 01:19
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TheCaptain posted:Tragedy has struck me today. I've dropped my EF-S 55-250mm IS telephoto the other day. Aww man that sucks. You probably already know about the site, but if not: http://www.keh.com is great for the longer telephoto lenses. Well, pretty much all lenses, but they do get quite a few of the longer ones in and they often carry a 100-400 for under $1k. There aren't any up right now for that price, unfortunately, but just keep watching. Takes a little bit of the sting out of saving up for one when you can get a little discount! My birding lens upgrade path went like this: 55-250 IS>Sigma 135-400 (not a good idea, ignore this, it required like f/16 to be sharp)>Canon 200mm F2.8L with a 2x teleconverter (Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 DG)>Sigma 50-500. The 50-500 is more like 50-460mm and isn't as sharp as the 100-400 wide open but stopped down a bit (f8-f10) it's nearly on the same level. It weighs about 4 lbs and the older (cheaper) version doesn't have IS but it's around $600/$650 on KEH from time to time so it's a really good deal if you don't mind carrying around what amounts to half of a bazooka. It's a LOT different than the 55-250 and can be used as a weapon in a melee fight.  If IS is critical to you though, the 100-400 can't be beat and you'd probably be best off just trying to make do with your current lens until you can save up for it. Not the most fun answer, but it might save you a couple bucks in the long run.
PREYING MANTITS fucked around with this message at 02:37 on May 8, 2010 |
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May 8, 2010 02:18
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scottch posted:save up for a longer lens rather than set yourself back for a repair or a "good enough" lens in the interim. diarrhea for girls posted:It's a LOT different than the 55-250 and can be used as a weapon in a melee fight. Yeah, I think you guys are probably right. I'm going to keep an eye on KEH for a month or two and start putting money away for the 1-4. I actually was looking at the 50-500 but ending up getting a bit intimidated by the sheer size of the thing. But yeah it would be totally useful in fighting off gryphons. In the meantime, I can still join the party from time to time assuming great lighting and ridiculous ISOs. I mean just take a look at this handsome fellow! 
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May 8, 2010 02:44
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Slo-Tek posted:Pestering the wood ducks again: Damnit, I am so jealous. Wood ducks are quite possibly my favorite bird and I have never seen one in person. I technically live in their range, but we're lucky to get anything besides Mallards around here. diarrhea for girls posted:What more can you ask for? Haha. Congrats on the house! I highly reccomend doing it. Feeders are like $10 and hummingbirds are awesome. TheCaptain posted:What would be a good interim birding lens that's a step up from the 55-250mm but that I can sell and trade up for a 100-400 when I'm in better financial shape. This has become one of my favorite hobbies and never fails to relax me when i'm in a bad mood. Something about the silly tittering around of birds just makes me smile. I really hope I can keep on doing it. I think it's already been said, but at speed you're typically shooting birds are IS is not really necessary. When I upgrade my nifty two-fifty I'll probably go to the 70-200 F4L. It's by no means a perfect birding lens at only 200mm (and too slow to stick a 2x tele-converter on and maintain auto-focus), but it's apparently one of the sharpest zooms made and its pretty cheap for the quality.
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May 9, 2010 05:01
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May 9, 2010 08:43
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May 9, 2010 09:23
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Decided to have a go at shooting a Peregrine Falcon nest today. I wait 40 minutes for the little bastard to do something and this was the best I could get: Half of my time seemed to be spent going "There, it's moving at last, get ready" *poops* I am not very good at bird photography.
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May 9, 2010 21:41
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Holistic Detective posted:Decided to have a go at shooting a Peregrine Falcon nest today. I wait 40 minutes for the little bastard to do something and this was the best I could get: Eh, you may still get some interesting action shots from that, though. 
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May 9, 2010 23:37
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diarrhea for girls posted:
Well the boat tour lasted like an hour and we only hit up two bird spots , so I didn't have a whole lot to work with. Here are some of the better ones    I need to work on my post bad.
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May 10, 2010 15:30
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diarrhea for girls posted:If IS is critical to you though, the 100-400 can't be beat and you'd probably be best off just trying to make do with your current lens until you can save up for it. Not the most fun answer, but it might save you a couple bucks in the long run. On another note, a couple of shots from yesterday...  
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May 10, 2010 23:31
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I need some feedback on the composition of this shot, but haven't yet worked up the nerve to post it in PAD yet. It feels a bit unconventional, but if Andrew Zuckerman can do it why can't I?   EDIT: I think I need to fix the exposure on it, for starters.
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May 10, 2010 23:44
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Yeah, could be brightened a little, but not much. I like the tone. I like the composition. It may not be a "birder's" specimen-shot, but it's a nice subject on a pleasing background. Makes him look curious, peeping into your frame like that. Really nice all around.
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May 11, 2010 00:14
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Bahama.Llama posted:Well the boat tour lasted like an hour and we only hit up two bird spots Aww, that bites. I bet that was the quickest passing hour! I really like these two shots though, especially that last one with the fish in midair! Awesome catch! William T. Hornaday posted:I need some feedback on the composition of this shot, but haven't yet worked up the nerve to post it in PAD yet. It feels a bit unconventional, but if Andrew Zuckerman can do it why can't I? -- I was going to open up the windows facing my backyard this morning and noticed a Cardinal feeding her baby bird, so I fired off a couple shots just as it was getting blown off the railing by a gust of wind, poor thing. Haha. It must have been alright though because it flew off with the mom at least.  The baby cardinal a little while later, no worse for the wear: 
PREYING MANTITS fucked around with this message at 17:26 on May 11, 2010 |
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May 11, 2010 16:49
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Took this a while back on vacation to Florida:
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May 11, 2010 17:11
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