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JH Tugs
01-01-2008, 08:41 PM
Ok, I'm up for critique, as I'd love to improve my bird photography in particular.

Definite Hand of Man here - this was captured on my deck in the fall (hence the background color).

1/400s, f/7.1, ISO200; Aperture Priority; Canon 70-300 IS USM lens at 220mm.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/2052916577_271a6a4f50.jpg

Lana Hays
01-01-2008, 08:54 PM
You have some pretty good detail and the exposure is good. The pose of the bird is also nice with an over the shoulder look. Ways that you could improve the image would be to use some flash to bring out more detail in the dark areas. Shooting with natural light on the bird would have been nice but I don't know if your deck ever gets any natural light. You obviously have some nice birds so why not set up some perches and/feeders. When I first started shooting I spent a great deal of time shooting the different birds off my porch with setup and feeders. I shot in all types of light and weather which gave me a lot more confidence in my shooting and teach you a lot.

JH Tugs
01-01-2008, 09:08 PM
Thank you, Lana - good suggestions, and I appreciate your comments.

I have feeders up on my deck, which have helped my bird numbers increase significantly. I have also created one 'perch' near a feeder using an old branch lashed to the deck - this makes for a more natural looking photo even though it's a bit contrived. I'll find a picture of a bird on the perch and post it soon. I might create more perches though, as the birds seem to like to hop between the perch and the feeders. I have a bird bath (or some water feature) on my shopping list though - I'm hoping they'll enjoy that.

My deck gets natural light in the morning, then in the afternoon/evening it's in the shade. This photo was taken in the afternoon, which definitely can cause issues with a brighter background than foreground.

Jim Neiger
01-02-2008, 09:35 AM
Hi John,

I agree with everything Lana said. In addition to putting up more natural perches, you may want to limit the access to the feeders so that the birds waiting for a turn at the feeder will need to perch on the natural perches you have set up. Then try to photograph at a time when the light is best. This will eliminate the bird in shade and bg lit up by the sun problem. Good luck!

JH Tugs
01-02-2008, 11:11 AM
Thanks, Jim!

I think you're right about the timing. I leave for work early in the morning so during fall/winter I really miss the morning light and have to grab any shots when I get a chance. When spring/summer roll round though, I'm planning to up an hour early to try to catch the early morning feeders before I go - and I'll see if that can help with the shots. Meanwhile, some fill flash may be the order of the day, but it can be tricky to get just the right level without wiping out too much detail.