i'm using a canon D40 and a sigma 50-500 lens. i always keep an eye out for light problems. i shot this pic this morning with shade and overcast skies. this is the only place i have to do my work, i live in an end unit of a condominium and just have one tree.
f 6.3
1/200 sec
ISO 800
i've tried to use all of the suggestions i got yesterday. i hope i did ok.
Hi Mike,
Your bird is soft and perhaps out of focus...You need to get rid of the brownish oof leaf on the top of the frame and the branches that touch the bird...:eek:
P.S. also your image is under exposed showing no details in the blacks on the tail and the face. also the head angle is down, the bird should be looking at you. Perhaps fill flash would have corrected the exposure problem..:cool:
Cat Birds are a real pain, least I think so, always tucked down/under shrubs or back in trees. I've never gotten one out in good light!
Nice pose on the bird and while there are oof ranches in the BG it is nice and noise free, good going on that, nice job!
Your exposure isn't bad at all, it is the shutter speed that is getting you as far as sharpness and with those birds tucking in like they do..Well been there done and still do that.
Mike, I think this is one of your best efforts, nice fluffed-up bird and the head angle is very close. The shadows were probably a little too much and a fill-flash would have helped. I must confess that I am not very experienced with fill-flash technique. Are you using a tripod? I ask because I've found that I get much sharper results that way especially when the light is less than ideal. Keep plugging away, we're all learning here.
thanks Gus, and all others. i have been trying to reach the point where feathers become hairs. i'm not there yet. i try not to touch the camera when i shoot, but always do. i agree with the under exposure. i will clean up my act as far as bg's go. i have some aesthetically appealing female cardinal pictures that i would like to upload, but won't because of underexposure. i hope my next set of blue jays fly.
Mike you say that you try not to touch the camera when you shoot? You mean the camera is up on a tripod and you only press the shutter? Let me know.
Agree with suggestions. As presented its a little tight in frame, would give it a little more room top and right. Take a tad of the bottom. Shutter speed wise do go for a higher ISO. A good rule of thumb is noise is better than blur !!!! Keep working at it !!!
LOL Jeffrey. i know i can, did you ever carry a sigma 50-500 on a hike?
Al, i use an off camera shutter control. i use a tripod and touch the camera with my right hand while clicking with the left. i use the auto ISO control on my camera with shutter priority. i am, of course, looking to find the way to a perfect focus. i have a blue jay shot and a cardinal shot that i would like to submit in the next couple of days. i want to produce something like the female
hooded merganser shot that was here today. i think my blue jay shot may be of that quality, but don't know until i submit. i'm looking at all of my work at 100% before i submit. i can get some hairs on this blue jay, but i don't know if it will be ok or look like a piece of dried up drift wood, which i also want to avoid.
Hi Mike the first thing you can do is not use the cable release. Might the the absolute worse thing you can do.
You need to put pressure on the back of the camera up and pressure on the front part of the lens up as you make the image. Razor sharp images don't happen out of luck, there is a technique you could follow. Using the cable throws everything out the window.
The reason for using the cable in the old days had to do with settling mirror vibration. Usually between 1/30 to 1/4 sec. You are not near those speeds. Being able to look as your subject goes in an out of focus and steadying the camera/lens better takes precedence.
I know this is an old post, but could you please explain what you mean by "You need to put pressure on the back of the camera up and pressure on the front part of the lens up as you make the image. ?"
Thanks,
To make the sharpest images play needs to be taken out of the lens/camera. While the lens is mounted on the tripod I will push up on the front part of the lens and also push/twist up the camera while holding tight to my face.
Best way to go about it is testing. Leave everything loose and make an image, then tighten the tripod (tight) and push lens camera as suggested. When you don't have the shutter speed its necessary. Consistently doing it all the time is the key. Hope this helps Chris !!!
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