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2 new arrivals...Rose-breasted Grosbeak & hummers

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Pixc  Send Pixc a private message!



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Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 10:38 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I spied a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird on May 7 just as we were leaving for a short trip..so no pic, but when we returned there was a female hummer and a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak!



sip-sip!

Pixc - Ontario, Zone "Z5b"
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Moniquenac  Send Moniquenac a private message!




Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 11:34 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I have to be brave, and forward and ask just how are you getting such clear shots? My goodness your pics are ALL so nice. I have a Nikon D80 and a decent lens 18-200 VR and I have never been so fortunate as to get even one great shot such as yours. Maybe this is the incorrect thread but please could you pass along some tips?

Every time I see your name I hold my breath as I just know what I am about to see is going to be fabulous :)

Monique

Moniquenac - Ontario, Zone "?"
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Pixc  Send Pixc a private message!



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Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 05:51 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thanks so much Monique! Glad you enjoy!

For my more recent photos I used my Canon 40D and Canon 500mm lens on a special tripod that has a gyro head. The lens is quite heavy but with the special head it is almost like using handheld.

For other photos I've used my Canon 30D and 100-400 lens handheld.

I shoot all my photos RAW and set them up using the Aperture 2 program on my iMac. (Shooting RAW requires creating a TIFF or JPEG so the photo can be viewed.)

For taking pics of birds I set my camera to Aperture Priority and generally choose around 6.3f/stop because with a telephoto you don't have much depth of field anyway. This allows maximum use of natural light. I never use a flash.

A tip to pass on is to try and focus on the eye of the bird as I've found when the eye is in focus the rest just seems to fall in place.

And beyond that...LOTS of practice and patience!! Hope this was helpful...I'm always happy to help if I can; don't hesitate to ask any questions.

Pixc - Ontario, Zone "Z5b"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 08:16 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Terrific bird pic as always Pix

No hummers here yet. Sigh!!!

Bunting - NS, Zone "6a"
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Zack  Send Zack a private message!



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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 12:28 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Moniquenac wrote on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 11:34 am:

I hold my breath as I just know what I am about to see is going to be fabulous :)


Very well said Monique, Carol is our MOST talented photographer, and it doesn't hurt to have the 500mm L. Some series glass!
I will also add that not only are her shots tack sharp, but perfectly exposed (which is the hardest thing for me).

Zack - Louisiana, Zone "8b"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 01:20 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Yes Zack

I have known Carol for many years.

Every pic she does is more than perfect.

I love her work and have admired her for a very long time

I have been after her for years to do a bird book

I'd be the first to buy. I am sure it would be a top seller with her work.

Bunting - NS, Zone "6a"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 01:23 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Stunning!!

I hate my camera!! Tho it takes skill as well a better camera helps LOL :)

Speaking of hummers, mine have seemed to disappear, dunno what happened to them. They are never at the feeders now and I am throwing out a lot of food :(

Duckwatcher - Northern California, Zone "9b"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 01:40 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Duckwatcher

Any pic I've seen of your looks pretty nice to me

I need a new cammie although I still take a few with this one but difficult. A new one is not possible at this time, Darn.

The little plastic latch that holds the batteries in has broken off so my cammie is wrapped in elastics holding the cover of the batteries on

it does not have a good zoom either.

I wonder what happened to your hummers. Maybe visiting another home and got delayed along the way.

Keep fresh food out for them, they will come back
My best friend has about 20 but we can watch them zoom over her roof and hit for the neigbours and they do come back in a couple days

Guess they need a change in scenery, now and then lol,lol

I don't have any at all yet and beginning to worry

Bunting - NS, Zone "6a"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 02:17 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Pixc,

Happy Friday!

Thank you for sharing and being so forthcoming with the info...again your work is just beautiful. I am afraid I only have an 18-200 lens...maybe someday :)

I wanted to ask about some of your info if I may? You wrote:

"I shoot all my photos RAW and set them up using the Aperture 2 program on my iMac. (Shooting RAW requires creating a TIFF or JPEG so the photo can be viewed.)
I am wondering why you shoot in RAW, does it make a difference, and what do you mean about the Aperture 2 program? I don't have a iMac.

Also you added: "For taking pics of birds I set my camera to Aperture Priority" do you mean that you choose Auto ISO, and Shutter Speed, and only set the f-stop? Or do you mean you choose it and adjust the others based on the 6.3 f-stop?

I hope you don't mind all of these questions.
I am fairly new to photography and I like to learn from people who take pictures I WISH I could take, lol.

Have a great day.

Monique

Moniquenac - Ontario, Zone "?"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 02:48 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Monique, I'm sure Carol will chime in on this when she can, but I can answer for you.

Raw format is an uncompressed capture of your photo. No camera parameters have been placed on it. Just what it says, RAW This leaves the photog the ability to process the image to his/her taste. You then convert to jpeg format or in Carol's case tiff format. Tiff format is uncompressed and a requirement for some of the magazines that publish her work. They are huge files; 1 photo may be 48MB.

Aperture 2 is a photo editing software. There are others that you could use, I use digital photo professional to process my RAW's and I also use photoshop elements 5.

Shooting in AV mode is forcing a particular f stop and letting the camera use whatever shutter speed is needed. If your shutterspeeds are not fast enough to collect sharp images you can then raise the ISO setting, but as a rule, keep it as low as the natural lighting will allow.

Zack - Louisiana, Zone "8b"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 02:58 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Carol wouldn't shooting wide open maximize natural light? (largest f/stop on lens)

Zack - Louisiana, Zone "8b"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 07:47 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Delightful pics, Carol. We have the RBG but haven't seen the hummers yet. The orioles are here as well though have yet to visit their very own feeders... I'll ply them with oranges and grape jelly tomorrow. ;)

Sunnyday2day - Michigan, Zone "Zone 5"
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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 10:59 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Wow Carol. You got the Hummer in a shot. Wonderful. Great shot of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, love it.

Calendula - Ontario, Zone "5b"
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Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008 - 08:08 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I always look so forward to your photos! And as you know I favor the hummers! As always - FANTASTIC shots!

Golden_ca - British Columbia, Zone "8"
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Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 02:02 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

2 more beautiful pics, Carol. Thanks for asking Monique and thanks for the tips as well, Carol. I can always use help with my photos.

Seil - Michigan, Zone "6"
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Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 04:53 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Can only agree, what beautiful pics. We enjoy the rose breasted grosbeak as they stop in our woods heading North. We have them only a few weeks. One year we had an evening grosbeak and what a beauty he was!!
Duckwatcher, the hummers here are now enjoying the wild honeysuckle growing abundantly here in Georgia and probably setting up nests. They will be back to the feeders, hopefully bringing the babies.

Dirtlady - Georgia, Zone "7a/8b"
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Pixc  Send Pixc a private message!



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Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 06:23 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thanks so very much everyone! Isn't it great that first time you see a special summertime bird back again?

Zack...perfect explanation on shooting RAW!

I always think of camera settings as a give and take balance and trying to find that perfect ratio so you get the maximum benefit of everything. When you increase your ISO, you can make better use of natural light, but then you give up fine detail and the higher the ISO the more grain effect or "noise". By shooting RAW you can eliminate some of this "noise" when processing the image and the better quality camera and glass also helps with reducing noise and allowing shooting at a higher ISO.

The other balancing act is the f/stop ratio vs. the shooting speed. Going from my typical bird setting of 6.3 to 5.6 certainly allows better use of natural light and therefore a faster shooting speed, but the sacrifice is the depth of field (how much is in focus).

I've found that 5.6 is the limit of acceptable depth of focus for birds as beyond that the tail feathers tend to go out of focus even while the head is in sharp focus...as birds don't always pose in perfect sideviews; and that isn't the most interesting pose anyway.

So after much trial and error, I've found that for my camera and lens set up that my start settings are ISO 400, 6.3 f/stop and hopefully something higher than 500 for speed, but the camera chooses that on Aperture Priority as you've explained nicely.

Then, depending on the situation I make quick adjustments while taking the photo relying on past successes and failures for those decisions. The more you practice the more in tune you become to reading the situation you are in at the moment. I always study my file info after a shoot to see what worked and what didn't for future reference.

(sorry this is so long!)

I chose Aperture 2 for photo processing as it is most compatible with my iMac computer and am delighted with it and that is an understatement-lol

Really enjoyed reading everyone's posts here and thanks again sincerely!

Pixc - Ontario, Zone "Z5b"
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Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 06:37 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Carol! Saw my first hummer last week, just sitting calmly on a clematis obelisk. Of course my camera was not nearby...

No grosbeaks yet though. I haven't seen any indigo buntings either...and that seems odd.

Need to come for a shoot here Carol, before the end of the month! The kingfisher has been around and lots of tree swallows and a flicker. I'm afraid they have prevented the bluebirds from nesting.

Gardenbug - Ontario, Zone "4/5"
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Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 07:03 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Marie!

Yes, I'd love to come up for a visit, but most of all to see you and your gardens and any birds would be a bonus! Any news on the heron rookery yet? Must be getting time for them to be nesting??

We are tickled to pieces that for the very first time we are having a success with the bluebirds nesting. They are very busy right now feeding their young and all is going well. No other birds are bothering them and a pair of Tree Swallows are setting up in a nearby nesting box but not going near the bluebirds. The one pesky House Sparrow is busy guarding a birdbox a good distance away, and I'm allowing him there to keep him occupied until the bb chicks have safely fledged. But I won't allow the HOSPs to nest here of course.

I'll be in touch by email and we can pick a good day for a visit...when it's not raining.

Pixc - Ontario, Zone "Z5b"

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