More Little Birds

[pathfinder]

The sun finally came out this morning and allowed me to capture a few more shots of perching birds. I am interested, as always, in critques and suggestions for improvement. These images are all crops of of 1/3- 1/2 of my sensor - this distances typically are 30 feet.

House Finch ISO 400 f9.0 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15059820-L.jpg

Grackle ISO 400 f9.0 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15059824-L.jpg

I am not sure of the name of this little bird - Any one??
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15059827-L.jpg

House Sparrow ISO 400 f9.0 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15059828-L.jpg

[Allen]

Well done, I believe this one is a female House Finch.
It seems to match the ones I have here.
http://atsmith.smugmug.com/keyword/house+finches
The grackles are difficult because of their dark color and irridesence. You captured this one nice.
Al


The sun finally came out this morning and allowed me to capture a few more shots of perching birds. I am interested, as always, in critques and suggestions for improvement. These images are all crops of of 1/3- 1/2 of my sensor - this distances typically are 30 feet.

House Finch ISO 400 f9.0 1/400


Grackle ISO 400 f9.0 1/400


I am not sure of the name of this little bird - Any one??
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15059827-L.jpg

House Sparrow ISO 400 f9.0 1/400

[pathfinder]

Well done, I believe this one is a female House Finch.
It seems to match the ones I have here.

Al


I feel like I should say :doh I looked over your galleries. You are the one that should be posting bird images. I'm just a newbie at this. Thanks again for clueing me in.

[GREAPER]

I was gunna say the say thing, I think it is a female house finch.

I like the Grackle. I have yet to get a shot of one that I like. They are a tough exposure.

[fish]

cute! a little oversharpened tho, imho. what's with the funky target-shaped bokeh highlights? :rofl

[pathfinder]

cute! a little oversharpened tho, imho. what's with the funky target-shaped bokeh highlights? :rofl

Over sharpened or not sharpened enough. You can have them either way you want, Fish.:D :D

No diffractive elements in this lens though. Sorry - nothing but real optical glass. :uhoh :uhoh

[pathfinder]

I managed to find a couple more images of litle birds today...

House Finch F10 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15195975-L.jpg


House Sparrow F9 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15195981-L.jpg

I am interested in opinions and critiques please. :1drink

[John Mueller]

I would try and open it up a little and increase the shutter speed.
I have had great results @f5.6-f8
ISO looks good.
What lens?
Overall these are wonderful.

[GREAPER]

I manages to find a couple more images of litle birds today...

House Finch F10 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15195975-S.jpg
This one is Excellent. The DOF is great, most of the brach is reasonably in focus and the bird is sharp. The pose is decent and you caught her eating. The background is nearly PERFECT, all one color and tone, no distractng elements, Perfect. The composition could be a little less centered, but she fills the frame so its all good.

House Sparrow F9 1/400
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15195981-S.jpg


This one doesn't do it as much for me. The birds pose is good and the catch in song is great but the birds looks a bit soft to me. The verticle lines in the background just scream MANMADE like a fence or house and I find them distracting. There is a white oval spot to the left and bellow the bird that catches the eye and distracts. I dont know what the white spot is, but its position and shape will only remind people of one thing.

Just some thoughts.

[pathfinder]

I would try and open it up a little and increase the shutter speed.
I have had great results @f5.6-f8
ISO looks good.
What lens?
Overall these are wonderful.

The House Finch was shot with a 300mm + 2x, so f5.6 would be wide open and I had a few complaints with this combo that the images were not sharp, so I tried stopping down one stop from wide open to see if that would help. I think maybe it did.

The DOF is SO shallow with long telephotos that what seems like it should easy, turns out to be challenging for me. If the birds are in bright sunshine it is easier, but when they are in shadows it gets harder to AF dead on at times.

[John Mueller]

The House Finch was shot with a 300mm + 2x, so f5.6 would be wide open and I had a few complaints with this combo that the images were not sharp, so I tried stopping down one stop from wide open to see if that would help. I think maybe it did.

The DOF is SO shallow with long telephotos that what seems like it should esy, turns out to be challenging for me. If the birds are in bright sunshine it is easier, but when they are in shadows it gets harder to AF dead on at times.
Then I recommend the 300 f2.8 j/k :D

[pathfinder]

This one doesn't do it as much for me. The birds pose is good and the catch in song is great but the birds looks a bit soft to me. The verticle lines in the background just scream MANMADE like a fence or house and I find them distracting. There is a white oval spot to the left and bellow the bird that catches the eye and distracts. I dont know what the white spot is, but its position and shape will only remind people of one thing.

Just some thoughts.

Brian - Your comments are all accurate - The green fence I could not avoid - The rhododendron bush is right in front of the fence and the sparrows fly in and out of the rhododendron bush on the way to the feeder. I've posted other images of the sparrows in the rhododendron bush.

I painted the end of the twig maroon to mtch the rest of the twig and I resharpened the bird and recropped . Not sure I think it is any better, but at least it does not look like bird poop any longer :D Thank you for taking the time to comment.

http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15202334-L.jpg

[pathfinder]

Then I recommend the 300 f2.8 j/k :D


That is correct - 300 F2.8 + 2x = F5.6 wide open :dunno :dunno

[Tim Kirkwood]

These are all great PF!


share some more!

[pathfinder]

These are all great PF!


share some more! Not sure the rest of my birds from today will stand up to scrutiny, but this little fella might...

http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15203329-L.jpg

[GREAPER]

I know they are kinda tree rats, but I love watching squirrels. They can be hilarious.

I saw the fatest squirrel I have EVER seen last time I went to the feeders. I dont think he could climb a tree. I was there 2 hours and he never moved and never stopped eating. When he walked his belly dragged on the ground.

Nice shot Pathfinder. Makes me wanna start a tree rats thread...

:D

[pathfinder]

I know they are kinda tree rats, but I love watching squirrels. They can be hilarious.

I saw the fatest squirrel I have EVER seen last time I went to the feeders. I dont think he could climb a tree. I was there 2 hours and he never moved and never stopped eating. When he walked his belly dragged on the ground.

Nice shot Pathfinder. Makes me wanna start a tree rats thread...

:D

I have three very fat squirrels in my yard that compete with the birds for the seed on the gound from the feeder.

This little tree rat has figured out how to climb down to my bird feeder, and today he realized that the lid could be pulled up to expose the seed. So I had to go out and chastise him. I've got pics still on my CF that I did not process. Maybe I'll dig them out.

[pathfinder]

I caught a few more new ones today - I am not entering any contests - just trying to see what birds frequent my backyard.

Slate colored Junco I think
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15241011-L.jpg

A female cardinal - perhaps my best of a female
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15241009-L.jpg

A red bellied wood pecker - apologies for the feeder, but I couldn't pass this one up
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15241016-L.jpg


An Avian action shot - Incoming!! :D :D
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15241018-L.jpg

And last a male cardinal in the last of the dirty snow...
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/15241013-L.jpg

[Steve Cavigliano]

PF,

I liked your initial pics, but these last ones blow me away!!! :clap :clap :clap :clap

WOW!!

Super sharp and great detail and color :thumb :thumb


Thanks for sharing and please feel free to share pics like this anytime :smile6


Steve

[pathfinder]

PF,

I liked your initial pics, but these last ones blow me away!!! :clap :clap :clap :clap

WOW!!

Super sharp and great detail and color :thumb :thumb


Thanks for sharing and please feel free to share pics like this anytime :smile6


Steve

Thanks Steve. I am still learning how to capture little birds. I appreciate your encouragement a great deal. - It is a little different than shooting bigger water birds like this... http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/8223985-M.jpg

[lynnma]

I caught a few more new ones today - I am not entering any contests - just trying to see what birds frequent my backyard.

Slate colored Junco I think


A female cardinal - perhaps my best of a female


A red bellied wood pecker - apologies for the feeder, but I couldn't pass this one up



An Avian action shot - Incoming!! :D :D


And last a male cardinal in the last of the dirty snow...
Lovely shots path.. love the female Cardinal, the male also but the female is beautiful. I love squirrells too.. have'nt seen mine for a month actually.. I wonder where they are?
:clap :clap