So this is part 2 of Playing at home with birds in our garden....

I have shot a lot & have actually not gone through all the shots - much less uploaded them on my Zenfolio site. I've been down with a cold & yes I'm better, but these things take their time with me...

This time I'm posting a few adult male Lesser Goldfinches, as I seem to have very few adult females uploaded...... oh I should mention that Chad felt the other series was a tad too sharp. So I've started pp-ing them slightly less sharp just to see how you feel about it.

Usual equipment - D300 + 300mm AF-S Nikkor + Kenko 1.4x TC & some have a tad crop for framing.... shot through my blind in my kitchen door. Some with slight crop for framing...

hope you'll enjoy them & thanks for looking...

Lil

# 1 - checking out the surroundings...

A fine series Lil with the subjects well isolated and lovely BG. These don't look oversharpened to me, they look just right. Lovely colors on these birdies too. Top picks are #1 and 5 and the last one is a fine shot too but can't help you on the ID, am sure others will.
Martin

Beauties, Lil. Considering all the ugly "little brown burds" we have the GFs offer a nice change in color from the usual fair

Ken

Very nice Lil. I need to try the smaller ones ~ Ron

Good series Lil and I like what that D300 is doing these days. I may have to open my Nikon trunk
Lou

Great series Lil! Some of the best "photographs" come from our back yards. We have the time to compose them and think about them more so than in the wild. 4 is my favorite, 7 is better than 6 just for the eye as you mentioned. I like the background on these, well done. 5,6,7 may be a tad over sharpened but it is getting so close to just a matter of opinion. Very well done

Oh yes, when you visit you will get a gang to shoot with!!

Tim

lbuscher wrote: I may have to open my Nikon trunk
Lou

Lou, that is priceless. We should all be so fortunate to have "trunks" of gear.

Beautiful series, Lil!! Wonderful color tones and sharpness. Could not possibly get better feather detail.

GENE

Lovely background, not too sharp, great colors of a bird I've never photographed. And I do believe the last one is an American Goldfinch in non-breeding plumage.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Goldfinch.html#map

Lil, they look great...

About sharpness... I believe you misunderstood me when I was PMing you.. When you upload a HR image to Zenfolio, Zenfolio gives you options to choose from and link too that automatically size the image down.. when this process happens on Zenfolio's end.. the images tend to look over sharpened (depending on the image)... So that is why I tend to do all the sizing myself (in Photoshop) when posting on FM... Did that make any sense...

When I used Pbase.. if you didn't click "original" size and link from one of the Large or smaller sized images they looked horrible.

Chad

Very Nice Lil I pick # 4 But Like Them All. Ed

Wonderful series---a treat for the eyes----well done!!

These are all great, Lil - I'm amazed at how much more color the males keep through the winter out in CA. They all turn a limpid, uninspiring mustrdy color in the heartland.

Great exposures, plenty of detai, nice bokeh - work to be proud of -

These are fantastic Lil. Very very nicely done.
dan

very nice series Lil, love those bg's.
carl

superb shots once again Lil Those are some awesome bgs you got there!
Smooth as baby's butt

P.S. if these are almost full-frame at 420mm i'd go w the Sigmonster next time at 800mm! we want a macro of it's eye

Martin Good wrote:
A fine series Lil with the subjects well isolated and lovely BG. These don't look oversharpened to me, they look just right. Lovely colors on these birdies too. Top picks are #1 and 5 and the last one is a fine shot too but can't help you on the ID, am sure others will.
Martin

Thank you Martin,

glad you like them & especially # 5 - I just have a thing for that shot.

Lil

Mr Zoom wrote:
Beauties, Lil. Considering all the ugly "little brown burds" we have the GFs offer a nice change in color from the usual fair

Ken

Thank you Ken.

Yes & since we have no Chickadees this year..... These guys are a real treat.

Glad you like them.

Lil

surfnron wrote:
Very nice Lil. I need to try the smaller ones ~ Ron

Thank you Ron - I think we all do.

Glad you like them.

Lil

Nice yard visitors you got. You done did gooood.


Wacky roger
Founding Member Of OOOPs

lbuscher wrote:
Good series Lil and I like what that D300 is doing these days. I may have to open my Nikon trunk
Lou

Lou, I have to tell you I love my D300. The D200 just irritate me these days & I feel it's days are numbered with me. I'm debating picking up a D700 just to have one FX camera. Price is down right now.....

Bring out those Nikon lenses. I just bought a 180mm f/2.8 AF-S I believe & I can't wait to get it.

Glad you like them.

Lil

Tim Kuhn wrote:
Great series Lil! Some of the best "photographs" come from our back yards. We have the time to compose them and think about them more so than in the wild. 4 is my favorite, 7 is better than 6 just for the eye as you mentioned. I like the background on these, well done. 5,6,7 may be a tad over sharpened but it is getting so close to just a matter of opinion. Very well done

Oh yes, when you visit you will get a gang to shoot with!!

Tim

lbuscher wrote: I may have to open my Nikon trunk
Lou

Lou, that is priceless. We should all be so fortunate to have "trunks" of gear.

Thank you Tim.

So glad you like them. Yes, in this case I do have a chance to frame etc. Also, since they come to me - there are other benefits as well.

I find it amusing that some are maybe a tad over sharpened. I've barely done any sharpening. Got to tell Nikon their lenses are almost too sharp. I'm sure they'll love that. But as you say - it's a matter of opinion & I'm a sharpness freak. Comes from my education in Cinema & being the wife of a camera operator for so many years. It's sharp or it's out the door.

OK - I will tell Ross that when we go up he'd better be prepared that I have things to do. people to meet & go shooting with. He can hang out with his mother & sister & I'll go shooting with you guys. he'll be OK with that.

Lou is a very lucky man. He's been doing this for a long time & has had time to collect lenses over the years.

Lil

genemiller wrote:
Beautiful series, Lil!! Wonderful color tones and sharpness. Could not possibly get better feather detail.

GENE


Thank you Gene,

so glad you like them. Nikon has a wonderful set of colors.

Thank you

Lil

Duane N wrote:
Lovely background, not too sharp, great colors of a bird I've never photographed. And I do believe the last one is an American Goldfinch in non-breeding plumage.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Goldfinch.html#map


Thank you Duane,

so glad you like them. The Lesser is so fun to get cause they do have such lovely colors.

OK so we both agree - it is an American Goldfinch in non-breeding colors. That's what I thought. I've seen a bird I've been confused over before & now I realize it has to be this one. Always good to realize I have a new bird in the garden & that they're here even though the bad fires.

Thanks

Lil

72chevelle454 wrote:
Lil, they look great...

About sharpness... I believe you misunderstood me when I was PMing you.. When you upload a HR image to Zenfolio, Zenfolio gives you options to choose from and link too that automatically size the image down.. when this process happens on Zenfolio's end.. the images tend to look over sharpened (depending on the image)... So that is why I tend to do all the sizing myself (in Photoshop) when posting on FM... Did that make any sense...

When I used Pbase.. if you didn't click "original" size and link from one of the Large or smaller sized images they looked horrible.

Chad

Thank you Chad,

& I did probably misunderstand you. No problem. I get it. I'm just too lazy to go in & do Chad action after I'm done with them in NX2. So I get it - Zenfolio's behind it.

Glad you like them - because until I get a chance to go out again - this is all I have to offer. I may go down to Malibu & shoot just to get the Brown Pelicans in breeding colors before they leave. This is the right time to go....

Thanks

Lil

Ed Robertson wrote:
Very Nice Lil I pick # 4 But Like Them All. Ed

Thank you Ed,

so glad you like them Ed. I love these little guys & I think they're getting more & more used to me. Which I really love. Now I seem to have upwards 30 or so of them coming by each day. The more the merrier.

Lil