Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Hello! (from Dryden, Ontario)

  1. #1
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dryden, Ontario
    Posts
    450
    Threads
    81
    Thank You Posts

    Default Hello! (from Dryden, Ontario)

    I have posted a few images now in the critique forums, so I suppose I should introduce myself.

    While I have always been a bit of a birdwatcher, I am relatively new to avian photography as a specialty. I purchased my first digital SLR last spring, but I am really no stranger to photography. I have been photographing since I was a teenager and have spent most of the last 15 years focused on large format photography. A work-related move a couple years back took me from "God's Country" (the northern coast in British Columbia at the south end of the Alaska panhandle) to the flat boreal forest of Dryden, Ontario. I found with the change of scenery and lack of darkroom in the new house, I just wasn't inspired and wasn't getting out shooting.

    I purchased my first digital camera 5 or 6 years ago - a pocket sized Nikon point-and-shoot I often used to use to "proof" my sheet film images (I never gave it much creedance) but it "gave up the ghost" over the Christmas holidays in 2008. I ended purchasing my second digital camera - a Canon G10 in the winter of 2009 and the much improved image quality over my previous digital camera started getting me a lot more into the whole digital aspect and I started to shoot a lot more and started working on my "Photoshop chops". After the "taxman cameth" last spring I purchased my first digital SLR (a Canon 5DII) - I had a seldom-used EOS-3 with a couple lenses already, so I thought a full frame Canon would be a good place to start since I had a head start on some of the accessories. I found myself getting out a lot more and started spending a lot more time shooting the birds in my backyard and the local wildlife. I added a 70-200 f2.8 and a 400 f5.6 last year and started focussing a lot more on the birds... I think the appeal and style of photography required for photographing birds has a lot in common with large format photography - it requires patience and planning in your set-ups, previsualization of your final print, carrying 40 pounds of photogear, etc. (except that rather than coming home from a day out with 6 negatives, I have a card with 600 images to edit through!).

    I have recently been handing over some of my hard earned cash to the likes of Arthur Morris and Alan Murphy for some of thier instructional materials and I have been learning in leaps and bounds and really seeing some great improvements in my digital images over these past few months. I am already saving my pennies for some big glass - I hope to be ready to put my money on the table in time for the spring migratory birds. I'll be looking for a used 500mm or 600mm - I'll see what I can find and what the budget dictates. Meanwhile, I am making out pretty well with the gear I have and am always looking forward to my next trip out. This winter (when the days are really short in northern Ontario), I should be busy working on another photo related project - I've obtained a good quality wet-mount scanner and will be working my way through 15-years worth of sheet film trying to get everything scanned and catalogued - perhaps you will see some on here in the Landscape forum...

    Great to be here!

    Best Regards,
    Jeff Dyck
    Dryden, Ontario, Canada

  2. #2
    Michael Bertelsen
    Guest
    Welcome Jeff,

    BPN is a great place to pick up tips and make freinds. I hope to start posting again in November when things slow down for me.
    Welcome aboard,

    Michael Bertelsen

  3. #3
    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    26,266
    Threads
    3,976
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Welcome to BPN Jeff! You've found the right place to grow as a wildlife photographer...and how can you go wrong with the likes of Artie and Alan and their instructional material:cool:. From what I've seen from you so far I'm sure we'll be seeing lots of good stuff!

  4. #4
    Julie Kenward
    Guest

    Default

    Sounds like you're off to a great start, Jeff! Getting that "big glass" is very exciting and a real momentous occasion in the life of a bird photographer. Looking forward to seeing your images...

  5. #5
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hey Jeff, Great to see you here and thanks a ton for your membership support. And for the kind donations to BAA :) All greatly appreciated.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  6. #6
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    ps: Your Harris's Sparrow image was superb! Let's see more.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics