Grouse - through a window

[Ann McRae]

A pair of grouse have moved in to my yard - my daughter described them as big sparrow chickens when she first saw them. I have followed them with the 828 and tcon when they are in the willow (they eat willow branches?!:dunno ), but the shots always have branches obstructing. Today, we found one sitting in the big spruce out our dining room window, so I grabbed the 828 and shot through the glass.
http://canadian-ann.smugmug.com/photos/13341806-M.jpg


I am hoping to get some good shots of them without having to shoot through the window.
My other window shot of note is this woodpecker from early last month - there were actually a pair of them here this day:
http://canadian-ann.smugmug.com/photos/12715896-M.jpg

ann

[Ann McRae]

I also got him through the window with the 20d and the 85mmf1.8(my sports lens - it was on the camera). This is a 100% crop.

http://canadian-ann.smugmug.com/photos/13360262-M.jpg

ann

[Andy]

thanks for sharing, ann.

so, you've now had a dslr for a month or longer... are you and your 20d now best friends?

i was thinking about you, and your kids' sports shooting - a lens you may want to look at seriously would be the 135 f/2.0 :D

cheers

[Ann McRae]

Hi Andy

so, you've now had a dslr for a month or longer... are you and your 20d now best friends?
We have a very good relationship, but I still pull out the 828 often - I am lacking long glass for the 20d. I also still haven't gotten over the lack of a swivel.

i was thinking about you, and your kids' sports shooting - a lens you may want to look at seriously would be the 135 f/2.0 :D

The 135 would be great for the back boards and the opposite goal. I pcik one end of the 'field' and stay put the whole game - gets me shots on our net one half and theirs the other.
I got a monopod and a grey card for Christmas. Setting custom white balance really helps deal with the color shifting caused by the lights recycling. The monopod is taking some getting used to - but now I am forced to concentrate on the center of the field as opposed to along the boards and anywhere else I could get away with. I am pretty sure it is really helping with OOF shots - I think a big number of them were camera shake related.
Now if I could master good focus every time.....

ann

cheers[/QUOTE]