Lyrebird in aviary

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

This bird was captured in an aviary at the Healsville sanctuary near Melbourne Australia. We have many of these in the wild here but it is difficult to find them during our summer owing to the hordes of Terrorist.. sorry Tourists that infest our national parks during the Bar B Que and Booze up season.

The photo was taken using a Canon 30D, the on board flash, a 70-200 F4L, at 70 mm, 1/250 sec. ISO-800 at F/4.


http://birdphotographers.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6978&stc=1&d=1205140928

[Lana Hays]

Chris
I would love to see a Lyrebird some day........they are fascinating. A lower angle would be nice but I know that you are pretty restrained where you photograph. The bird doesn't seem sharp and I wondering if the point of focus was on the rocks behind him or if it was just too slow of a shutterspeed. Try to get the bird to look at you for some eye contact. It also looks like you have "steel eye" from the flash. Photography at an aviary can be quite a challenge......but I'd keep at it as the birds are worthy of your time.....and you will learn alot about shooting in most unfavorable habitats and light which will make birds elsewhere seem easy to get.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thanks Lana but this was an impossible shot and I am lucky to recover what I did. Too dark, no extra flash (not allowed anyway) and lying down just to acquire the image ( in my medical position a keeper had to lift me to the vertical) but I promise to get some great natural shots of these gorgeous critters soon.

[Lana Hays]

Chris
Been there....done that. After having back surgery I struggle to get up after groveling for the birds at times. I'll be anxiously awaiting those natural shots of this bird......."he who can mimic car alarms, chain saws, and camera shutters". Go get 'em!!!!