Malka_1
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Upload & Sell: On
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 Re: Is this as good as it can get or I am missing something? | |
RustyBug wrote:
Malka_1 wrote:
RustyBug wrote:
Welcome to the Forum.
From about 20 feet with a slow zoom ... that's pretty darn good, imo. I have shot some hummers from less than 5 feet away, with an f/2 lens and with 100-400's at mfd, etc.. I think the thing here is going to be your ability to study / learn your proximity and shutter speeds to get different wing sharp / blur / flutter. That just takes time to become more knowledgeable of your subject matter and the experience with it.
I'm not a master of hummers, dragonfly's, butterfiles, etc. ... but, my experience is that they can be a matter of understanding their behavior and your ability to get closer to them. The more you you increase your ability (just takes time, practice, observation) with that, the closer you'll come to what others do ... till you "come into your own" and find "your way".
Setting up a station / blind can be helpful too. That's something that the masters are keen to do, but few divulge their rigs ... and folks assume they are just finding them "naturally" while walking about kind of thing. Not so much ... when you're talking top tier work. If you want to "level up" to the big boys, this can be a labor of love, too.
That said, it is still a nice one.
Welcome to the forum.
Thanks for the welcome and the info! I think you're right. Comparing my images to those of the "big boys" (and gals!) is what's giving me the heartburn. I liked the wings as they were, so ss is probably OK. It sounds like proximity might be one of the differentiators in this case. The other might be the lens. Images I observed to be the next level are all taken with primes/GMs.
I wouldn't worry too much ... not just yet ... about your lens. Until you can get to MFD (i.e. much closer than 20 feet), I think you've got some room to grow with. I shot plenty with my 100-400 with pretty good proximity, too. I think there's more to be gained from proximity / animal behavior / stand / blind ... oh, yeah ... and the big boys often implement a (slight under-exposure recommended) fill flash technique with strobed pre-positioned, off camera, etc. for when the sun doesn't provide natural lighting to their chosing, etc. ... catchlight emulation, etc.
Point being, there's plenty of room for technique growth and exploration with your present glass. 
I have been eyeing those lenses, but they not in the budget for now. Which is a good thing, because you're right, they are only one one of many factors and there is plenty for me to learn and improve.
Appreciate all the tips you packed into the few lines above! I think there was a recent conversation about using a flash for hummingbirds in one of the other forums here.
I personally prefer the term "masters of the craft". I know it's just an expression, and wasn't meant to offend, but "big boys" carries demeaning implications for me as a female. I have worked for 30+ years in a very technical, male dominated, field, and have never felt the need to measure up to any sort of a boy!
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