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Thread: Red-billed leiothrixes

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    Default Red-billed leiothrixes

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    The red-billed leiothrix is a colorful, confiding Old World babbler, much loved by the Chinese, many of whom think that caging a bird is a way of honoring it. But many wild specimens remain, as for example these two. Photographing the leiothrixes yesterday, I discovered the pleasures of luring birds. My friends had made a small clearing in the woods at the very large Hangzhou Botanical Gardens, covering a log with moss and sticking branches in the ground to serve as perches. On these we rubbed a cut-open apple. The leiothrixes were regular customers. Knowing that birds were certain to come, I ceased being a bird hunter and was able to concentrate solely on being a bird photographer. My biggest concern was choosing the right aperture. Because the D3S allows me to shoot comfortably at ISO 1600 and higher, I could choose a very narrow aperture if I wanted and still have plenty of shutter speed. If the bird was in profile, the choice was easy--wide open aperture, pleasingly blurry BG. When the bird was at an angle, or as in this case when a second bird was in the frame, I had to strike a balance between getting the entire subject in focus (which meant a narrow aperture) and keeping the BG as indistinct as possible. When the leiothrix on the right joined the one on the left, I decided that f6.3 would give me the proper balance. Here is the result. I suppose that one could guarantee oneself a blurry BG at any aperture if one placed large greenish posters behind the perches (ā la Alan Murphy), but my friends and I aren't at that level of engineering yet. The BG here is, therefore, the handiwork of nature, while the perch is the handiwork of man.

    Device: Nikon D3S
    Lens: VR 600mm F/4G
    Focal Length: 600mm
    Aperture: F/6.3
    Shutter Speed: 1/400
    Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
    Exposure Comp.: +0.33
    ISO Sensitivity: ISO 1250
    Subject Distance: 5.6 m
    Photoshoppery: The typical NR on BG plus sharpening of all in-focus elements. A bit of extra sharpening on right-hand bird's head. Very small crop.

  2. #2
    Ofer Levy
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    This is a beautiful image! Getting these two stunning birds in the frame is awesome! I would suggest applying some more selective sharpening to the head of the bird on the right and cropping a bit off the top.
    Since this is a setup I would suggest the following improvements in your next attempt to photograph this beauties:
    1. Selecting a nicer natural perch maybe with some nice leaves.
    2. Working with smaller aperture in order to get some more DOF. You can even place the camera a bit further away from the subjects and crop a bit more in order to get enough DOF.
    Cheers,
    Ofer
    http://www.oferlevyphotography.com

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    Ofer, your suggestions are right on the money. Thank you. I didn't wanna come right out and say it, but I didn't choose the very best aperture. I should gave gone to about f9 and maybe dialed up the ISO to 1600 or 2000 to maintain a fast shutter speed, because leiothrixes even when perching are herky-jerky. (I don't want to make excuses for myself, but one has to understand that I had seconds to make my adjustments, because the leiothrixes very rarely would perch together for more than 3 to 5 seconds.) I like your suggestion to move back. What Ofer didn't know is that there are several perches at our spot, and the one on which the leiothrixes perched is the second-closest. If I moved back too far, then the more distant perches would be out of range. But your principles are spot-on, Ofer. Good stuff to think about.
    Last edited by Craig Brelsford; 03-30-2011 at 07:24 AM.

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    Beautiful image Craig! I like the colourful birds and smooth BG. I agree with Ofers suggestion. Multiple setups in the same spot are a challenge.

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    Great colors, the birds are beautifull, Ofer Levy is right abaut the sharpness and the perch, but I understant that or you took the shoot or you changed the settings and the bird meanwild was gone...
    About the sharpness, I would make a bit of selective sharpnes in the two birds, but a bit more to the one on the right...

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    Lifetime Member James Salywoda's Avatar
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    Fantastic Shot!!!! Beautiful image.

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    I bet you could sell this photo to a person who's putting together a field guide of Chinese birds. This is a perfect bird book photo showing all angles of this species. Nice work and I agree also about sharpness with others.

    Mikko

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    Great work, Craig! I agree with the previous critiques. The biggest issue that I have is the perch, not too pleasing to the eye.

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    Beautiful image, gorgeous birds and nice set up.
    Good suggestions above. Nicely executed.

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Craig, thanks for sharing all the info. What colourful little guys these are, and always great to have a pair. Good suggestions from above. Keep up your great work.

  11. #11
    Brendan Dozier
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    That is a beautiful capture, Craig. Nice job getting just the right balance between SS & DOF.

    I was curious, does rubbing apple on branches attract many types of birds, or just this species?

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    What a awesome bird...Nice thinking in setting up this shot to pull it off...Effort payed off...The perch works well and the birds pop on the BG

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    Beautiful Craig. What a terrific species. Nice that you have them both to show off both sides. Personally I don't mind the perch. I agree about the sharpening and dof comments.

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    Agree with Ofer's comment. It looks like the focus point was around the wing area of the bird on the right.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brendan Dozier View Post
    That is a beautiful capture, Craig. Nice job getting just the right balance between SS & DOF.

    I was curious, does rubbing apple on branches attract many types of birds, or just this species?
    Hi Brendan, four species showed up. The leiothrixes and grey-cheeked fulvettas were coming regularly, and a Tristram's bunting and a pale thrush made a few appearances. There were eight photographers sitting 5.5 to 8 m away from the perches, talking and smoking. Sitting silently in a tent at that spot, I might have seen a few more species.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Humberto Ramos View Post
    . . . I understant that or you took the shoot or you changed the settings and the bird meanwild was gone...
    Humberto, I'm muito obrigado that you appreciate the shortness of time. My habit now is to adjust aperture first, because the aperture dial is close to the shutter-release button, and I don't even have to move my eye from the view-finder. Adjusting ISO requires both hands (one finger holding down the button, another finger turning the dial).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Troy Lim View Post
    Agree with Ofer's comment. It looks like the focus point was around the wing area of the bird on the right.
    Correct, Troy. The focus point is on the left shoulder of the right-hand bird.

  18. #18
    DanWalters
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    Great color and I like the fact you got eye contact from both birds.

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    Awesome birds , and I had pleasure of seeing them in Sattal , Uttaranchal in India . This is a beautiful shot . Good suggestions by Ofer .

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    I've never seen this species before, beautiful birds, and you captured two here, way to go. Thanks for sharing.

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