Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Nature & Wildlife Posting Guidelines
  

FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2013 · Few Warblers from this Spring

  
 
Dave Inman
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Few Warblers from this Spring


First of all let me say that I am in awe at the images posted in this forum. I feel that I am way out of my league here. I have had a love for birds since I was an early teen (I'm now 58). About three years ago I decided that I'd like to photograph them rather than just look at them through my binoculars. I bought a D7000 and recently bought a Nikon 500/4 lens from a FM member on the buy/sell boards. That will most likely be the last lens I buy for bird photography. Previously I had a Sigma 150-500 which I eventually sold and I also have a 300/2.8 which I am in the process of selling.

I have no photography background and everything I have learned has been from reading books and/or searching the internet. I am pretty disappointed in most of the images that I take so please feel free to comment and criticize on anything that I post. In doing so I am hoping to learn so that I can enjoy my hobby even more.

Thanks for looking,
Dave





Bay-breasted Warbler taken at Presque Isle State Park - Erie, PA







Black and White Warbler taken at Presque Isle State Park - Erie, PA







Prothonotary Warbler taken at Geneva Swamp - Meadville, PA







Yellow Warbler taken at PA State Geme Lands #284







Female Yellow-rumped Warbler taken at PA State Game Lands #284




May 21, 2013 at 08:30 PM
morris
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Hi Dave,

The last 2 are my picks. Looking at the images, the first 2 are focused on branches that are closer than your subject. Are you using single point focus and focus lock? Then recomposing after focusing on the eye? The next to the last is clearly a crop and that’s costing quality. The last seems sharp and I’d suspecting a crop.

Rather than going after small birds that never sit still and require you to get very close, try photographing some shore birds to build your skill. Egrets and herons are much larger making them a great subject to practice on.

Morris



May 21, 2013 at 08:54 PM
KCollett
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Good variety here Dave. You have succeeded in seeing the birds, which is way better my results when out looking for warblers. Morris has some good tips. Practice, practice, practice.


May 22, 2013 at 07:47 AM
Dave Inman
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Thanks for the feedback Morris. I do use single point focus usually on the center point but have not used focus lock. I will try that. I do focus on the eye every time (or at least attempt to) but as you can see I don't always get sharp focus. I'm thinking I may buy the Lens Align MkII since I'm sure that my camera with the 500mm lens and occasional 1.4x tc could use some fine tuning. And you are correct that all the images are cropped. Some, I'm sure, are cropped way more than they should be. I tried to take out as many distracting elements as possible.

I do spend considerable time taking pictures of larger birds. In the spring before warbler migration I strap a blind to my back along with a folding chair and spend hours in swamps usually setting up before the sun comes up. But my main love is the smaller song birds especially the warblers and vireos.

Thanks again,
Dave



May 22, 2013 at 08:05 AM
Dave Inman
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Thank-you Ken. At this time I'm at 19-20 warbler species that I have actually seen (not just heard) and photographed for this season. Most of the images are poor quality but sometimes I snap a picture just for my records. I'll keep practicing

Dave



May 22, 2013 at 09:18 AM
Shasoc
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Dave, you got some lovely captures, however, a common trait for all of these is they appear a bit on the soft side. Since your technique seems good, I would definitely try some Focus MA.
Also try to bump the SS. 1/160 second in the first shot sounds too low for a 700mm.
1/2000 sec, as in your last image, is a good SS.
Socrate



May 22, 2013 at 10:13 AM
birdied
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Hi Dave and welcome! I have the 500mm and D7000 .

My suggestions are as follows:

Use AF-C 9 points or 21 points ( I mainly use 9 points)

Use Spot Metering or Center Weighted ( I rarely use Matrix Metering)

Turn off Active D Lighting and High ISO Noise Reduction

I would definitely increase the shutter speed . I looked at the exif and the shutter on the first 3 seems a bit slow for fast moving jittery birds. The birds that are a bit sharper, your shutter speed is faster.

I normally shoot manual or shutter priority. I increase my ISO to keep the shutter speed up .

You mention you occasionally use the 1.4 TC. I also have the TC and find that the lens is so much sharper without the TC. Use of the TC could be another factor with loss of sharpness . I would suggest you use the bare lens and see if you can get sharp shots without the TC . Then once you are getting sharp shots add the TC and see what happens .

Are you handholding, or using a monopod, tripod?

Do you have backyard you can practice in? I started out with the small birds in my yard. I would photography them on branches close to the feeder.

I am no expert by any means, still learning through trial and error. Hope this helps

Birdie








May 22, 2013 at 10:33 AM
Dave Inman
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Thank-you Socrate. I do find myself shooting at slower SS mainly to reduce the amount of noise I get in higher ISO images. I try to keep my ISO at no more than 500 with the D7000. Maybe that is too conservative? I guess that I not only need to learn to take better images to begin with but I also need to hone my post processing skills.

Dave



May 22, 2013 at 11:48 AM
Dave Inman
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Hi Birdied and thank-you! I have my camera set to 21 points, single point focus, spot metering and I rarely ever handhold this set-up. 99% of the time (if not more) I am using a Gitzo GT3541XLS tripod with a Wimberley WH-200 Gimbal head and I often use a remote shutter release. I don't use active D lighting and have High ISO noise reduction turned off.

I do realize that a lot of my not so sharp images are from slower shutter speeds. I'll work on getting that SS up.

The past couple of weekends I have been out with my camera with the 1.4 TC in my pocket rather than on the lens and the sharpness has increased. The Yellow Warbler was taken without it I believe. That image was severely cropped though.

I guess it's just practice, practice, practice.

Thanks again,
Dave



May 22, 2013 at 12:02 PM
surfnron
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Please don't spend $$ on a device to MA your lenses until you try "Dot Tune". Search here on FM. It's easy to do, quick, and free. As far as using higher ISOs is concerned, you can do something about noise, but motion blur can't be corrected ~ Ron


May 22, 2013 at 04:32 PM
Dave Inman
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Few Warblers from this Spring


Fantastic, I appreciate the advice Ron. I checked out the U-tube video and it looks easy enough to do. I'd do it tonight but would need a bigger house with my 500/4 and since we're supposed to have rain the next couple of days I'll have to wait until this weekend to do it outside.


May 22, 2013 at 08:44 PM
dorian
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Few Warblers from this Spring


you've got some nice shots of tough birds! bay-breasted warbler is always way at the tops of trees, you normally have to break your neck to see them at all so you did really well to get this shot.

warblers move really fast, you just have to stay on your toes and be ready when they do come out.

dorian



May 22, 2013 at 08:51 PM





FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.