I'm a backyard birder :) and a "wanna-be" bird photographer. I joined this forum to learn from the other avian photographers and hope to maybe someday be able to post photos worth framing. :D My gear is nowhere near those used by the pros as I only have a beginner DSLR (Canon EOS Rebel XSi) and a kit lens (EF-S 55-250mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) for taking bird photos.
I will be posting some photos later and hope to get comments and critiques on how to improve them.
Eric, Big welcome to BPN. Hope to see some of your images soon. A good place to start is in Eager to Learn. The forum is jammed packed with info. Lance, Julie and John are all very talented photographers and offer top notch advice. If you need any help navigating through the forum check out the FAQ tab at the top of the page-most questions will be covered. Again, Big welcome!:o
Hey Eric, I have been part of BPN for a week or 2 now and check in a few times a day to see whats happening, I love it here and sure you will too. Have fun.
Welcome to BPN Eric! You've found the best place for your thirst of bird photography knowledge:D We all started somewhere, so there is no better time to start than now! Looking forward to your work....
Last edited by Daniel Cadieux; 10-21-2010 at 07:10 PM.
Reason: typo
Eric, welcome! Do what you can with the gear you have and absorb all the other stuff in the meantime. Remember that focal length does matter in some cases but learning to frame the bird, get a good HA, expose the image properly - these can all be done with any lens!
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! :) I'm now beginning to feel at home in this forum. I posted a photo at the "Eager to Learn" board but have not been able to fulfill the requirement to comment on at least 4 images. Reason is, I don't feel confident enough to comment on photos of others when I myself am just trying to learn the ropes.
I am into birding for some years now but only tried taking bird photos last year although I would say that I only take photos rarely as my subjects are mostly birds that frequent my feeder. :)
@Julie, please forgive me but may I know what HA means? ;D
Again, thank you guys for the warm welcome and hope to learn from all of you.
Eric, HA = head angle.
As far as commenting back on others images it is really easy once you break it down. Say what you like about the image, and what you don't like. It's easy just be honest and gentle.:)
Hope that helps.
Welcome to BPN. You will like it here and find it very helpful to your development as a photographer. I have been a member for about 5 weeks or so and I love it. Look forward to seeing your images soon.
It is a chilly day here in central Ontario too. It is a rather snowy night out there as I write this.
@Andrew, thanks for the welcome. I can see that you have been very active in the 5 weeks of your stay here based on your number of posts. I also am looking forward to actively participate in this friendly forum.
Welcome Eric and Johan, We look forward to seeing some of your images. It will be interesting to see what that kit lens can do. I had never heard of it until I saw your mention here.
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,
:) Thanks for the links. Keep getting out and making images.
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,
Thank you Mr. Morris for taking time to look at and comment on my photos. :) It is very much appreciated.
The drawback of my kit lens is that I have to get as near as possible to the subject in order to overcome the IQ limitations of the lens. Hope to get an "L" lens someday.
YAW. Something like a used 300 f/4L IS and a 1.4X II TC would be a great rig for hand holding for you.
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,
I'm actually saving for either a 300mm f/4L IS or a 400mm f/5.6L since they are in the same price range. But I guess a sharp copy of a 300mm is more versatile if paired with a 1.4X TC. Thanks for the suggestion. That will be my Christmas gift for myself. :)