Hello All! This is my first post in the forum. I really enjoy bird photography, and would like to do anything I can to improve my images. I would appreciate you frank and constructive feedback immensely! I am trying to put together a portfolio of all of the best shots of all of the species of birds I can capture in my area. I am starting with small birds in my backyard. I have set up a small hide in my yard near the woodline so I can attempt to capture these beautiful creatures in a natural setting.
Here is a shot of a Titmouse I recently took. I am using a Canon 1D MkII with a Canon 400/5.6 with a 1.4 TC. I feel this is about the best quality/reach combination I can afford right now. This shot was taken mid morning, all natural light, with the light coming in from the left. I was careful to try to capture the catchlight in the eye, as I feel this adds depth to the image. I shot on a Gitzo tripod with a ball head. All of the EXIF info should be intact, but here is a summary of my settings:
Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 560.0mm
Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400)
Aperture: f/8.0
ISO equiv: 400
White Balance: Manual (Sunlight)
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure Mode: Manual
I have not made any modifications or touch-ups other than a simple crop.
Welcome to BPN. Nice first post. The sharpness exposure, and eye contact are all excellent. The setting is a little too busy however. If you have a feeder that the birds come too, I would suggest putting up a nice perch (maybe those ones with the berries) against a cleaner BG to help the viewer focus more on the bird.
Welcome to BPN - J Francis - What do I call you by the way? You have posted a lovely first shot of a popular, sweet bird as typically seen in its natural habitat. Everything is sharp and the placement of the critter is nice in the frame. Use of F/8 was very successful. You even handled the sky well, which is not so easy as it dopples through branches. By the way, the berries here really make the shot a winner. I'm not distracted by the background because I expect birds to be in settings such as this because that is how I see them every day. Actually, I'm sometimes distracted by the studio-looking backgrounds that are often posted here -- me included. The great thing about BPN is that we have many different opinons about what makes a nice shot so prepare for some excitement and consternation, and keep 'em comin'.
Thanks for the feedback so far guys, Keep it coming!
Danny - kinda got stuck with the jfranciskay moniker when some other "James Kay" photographer guy beat me to the domain name...you may have heard of him :) Anyways, my name is Jim, but you can call me whatever you like, as long as its not "late for dinner". Appreciate the tips and detailed feedback. I am prepared to take the good with the bad, as I am here to learn from the other great photographers here who share my love for birds, and realize everyone sees things through there own eyes. And I am sure I have lots to learn. BTW thats one bad arse looking rig you got slung over your shoulder...
I think this is great. I am a beginner in this forum like you and I'm only doing backyard birds so far. These little critters aren't all that easy and I love the setting. Good job.
Tufted Titmouse
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