Wonderful photos all, very impressive. Here is my humble entry, taken on a cold, damp day on the Washington coast. I think the DOF removes the world from the subject just as the subject seems unimpressed with the dismal day and goes about the normal business. I haven't posted much, this year has gotten away from me. I hope to post a lot more in the coming year.
Wow! It's really great to hear myself say that word so often as I look through an internet thread. I hope to see it going strong through the new year! I have much to learn from you all, but here is my best from this year to help keep this great thread going.
My two best, both were taken on a safari in the Selous, Tanzania this summer. I would really recommend it as a destination. Not as much game as some places but there are very few vehicles, we watched the lions on several occasions (once with 2 week old cubs!) and the wild dogs and we were the only people there, sometimes another vehicle from the same lodge would join us. On a busy day we saw two other cars! For these I used a 20D with a Canon 100-400 IS.
Not sure if this is my best,but it was my most exciting encounter with a bird last year. I was shooting Finches feeding on berries last August when this Coopers Hawk landed 30ft. away from me. I guess Finches are pretty good eatin' for a Coopers. Vern
So many amazing shots..... I'm really not good enough to post in this thread, but why not...
Background story. I started shooting with a dslr last year. I had not held a slr for probably about 8 years in my hands & every shot I took made me almost cry. I would try, look at them & get so upset the camera would end up in the closet for a month. I'd try again - same result.... Many mistakes & "stupid" questions later....
I suffer from debilitating headaches & is therefore often not capable to getting places. Luckily we have a backyard filled with birds & squirrels. I've been working on "issues" with them as my subjects. The cost of me feeding them.
For weeks I'd been trying to get a shot of the Western Scrub Jay which visits our home. To no avail. So I was working in Manual mode on my natural light setup for our resident squirrels & feeding our Love Birds with the camera on my hip - when the Scrub Jay announces it's presence. I got two shots in. Here's the one where I got the complete bird...
I guess these can be considered my favorite ones from this year - but that's a hard decision based more on emotions & stuff related to taking the shots, rather than the perfection of the shots......
Humbly presented by Lil, who's most humbled by present company....
