Green-crowned Brilliant

[Jim Crosswell]

Canon 30D
100-400L IS
ISO 400
285mm
f/8
1/1000s
tripod
remote switch

This is from my Costa Rica 2009 trip. All natural BG taken beside the feeder. All C&Cs welcome.

[Danny J Brown]

Hi Jim - I really like the green on green here and the composition is pleasing as well with the bird coming out of the left corner. I think I see the tip of its tongue coming out of the bill. Who needs a prime lens when you can produce images like this with the 100 - 400 L! Well done.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Nice one Jim.

Love this bird and how you got it with a right wing position. Clean BG too, I only wish the eye would be more clear.

[RAM MALLYA]

Perfect lighting of the bird and superb action shot nicely captured!!!!!

[arash_hazeghi]

Very nice details and wing position, BG is nice too. I feel it is a bit too tight on the left would crop off the right slightly and add to the left.

[Harshad Barve]

Beautiful image with lovely pose , HA & BG , Blurr on wings adds here for me
TFS

[Raymond Barlow]

excellent Jim, the details and angle, with a great bg make this outstanding.

[Arthur Morris]

Nice wing position and sharp on the face. Wing blur and lack of underwing detail plus uneven BKGR with dark and light splotches does not work for me.

By a remote switch do you mean a cable release?

[Jim Crosswell]

Nice wing position and sharp on the face. Wing blur and lack of underwing detail plus uneven BKGR with dark and light splotches does not work for me.

By a remote switch do you mean a cable release?

The remote switch is what I plug into the side of the camera to take the place of the shutter button. Canon refers to it as a remote switch but I guess you call it a cable release. Thanks for your critique.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks. Why would you use a cable release for this type of photography?

[Jim Crosswell]

Thanks. Why would you use a cable release for this type of photography?

With the hummingbirds I use a tripod with the cable release and the IS turned off. I thought that my finger depressing the shutter button would result in more vibration than using a cable release. Earlier today I was reading in a forum about different lens holding tecniques and using your body to absorb vibrations. Any direction/input on this is appreciated and thanks for your time.

[Arthur Morris]

With the hummingbirds I use a tripod with the cable release and the IS turned off. I thought that my finger depreessing the shutter button would result in more vibration than using a cable release. Earlier today I was reading in a forum about different lens holding techniques and using your body to absorb vibrations. Any direction/input on this is appreciated and thanks for your time.

Ever since the publication of ABP in 1998 we have been advising that folks not use a cable release for 99.99% of bird photography. Yes, press your face against the back of the camera, get your arms/legs against the tripod, learn the Advanced Sharpness Techniques in ABP II (on CD only), and have the camera and lens be part of you.

You can save $10 by buying ABP soft cover and APB II as a package. Together they are a bible for folks just starting out.