share your photography tips :-)

I have learned a number of things since the bird watching forum started that have really helped me with my picture taking. And I thank you all very much! I was thinking that maybe when we discover a new technique or tip we share them here.

I have been thinking about how I can get closer to my subjects without actually being outside in this cold weather. Now this may just be too tacky for most of you but I decided to try using the old changing table I have been keeping my craft stuff on in the garage. The top shelf is just about at the level of the bottom of my dining room window. So I dragged it outside and put a small bird bath, seed and a dish of fruit and nuts on the top. I figured there would be enough room for bird browsing and maybe even some of the ground feeders like the towhees might venture up there. I have my camera set up on a tripod in the dining room at chair level so I can sit while taking the pics. Aside from the "tacky factor" I'm hoping this will work out well. :-) I was even thinking of trying to attach some branches along the top rail or nearby. Here is my first customer... and I will post a picture of the feeding area below.

Now don't laugh... here is the top shelf in all its tacky glory lol!



This message was edited Feb 7, 2007 3:46 PM

my problem with the tripod, is i cant get the camera flush against the window, and if i cant do that..the picture is white from the blur. any help welcome. so frustrated.

I don't use the flash unless its very dark out.

Lily, I LOVE it!! Nice set up!

Is the whiteness from the flash going off maybe? The pics above were taken through a window but it was light enough that the flash didn't go off.

Oh sorry, can't you turn your flash off??

Oh we posted at the same tilme Pell! I do like having the birds a bit closer. I was thinking that I've seen largish platforms too in catalogs that can be elevated to window height and aren't quite so tacky lol.

No its fine, looks a little like a country buffet. :-)

gardenglory I have heard that putting a tissue in front of the flash can sometimes help.

HAHAHA!! It does look like that!

gardenglory, to cut down on reflection off the window glass, cut down all light inside. Turn off all lights. Pull shades on other windows, close doors, etc. Become aware of parts of the window and the angles with the most and least reflections. ( I can't shoot through some parts of my window because of reflections.) By extending one leg of the tripod longer than the other two, the lens can be place next to the glass very easily.

Grass, I got the idea of putting up branches from you - thanks!

I also have been thinking that putting my blinds down to camera level and having most of the window covered might serve as a kind of blind. It would be easier to slip in and out of my chair without scaring away my subjects.

Thanks. will try do darken the room. I havent been using the flash for the pictures. I have been using the flower setting so it wont go off.


This message was edited Feb 7, 2007 4:21 PM

I get this haze..this is about as good as it gets with sun

first time I have had this little beauty visit. bright or not, I will keep it until I get a good one. I have never seen one of these until this year. really working on getting a decent picture...its a mission.

Gardenglory, You have a different problem in each of these shots. I believe, the haze in the first pic. is reflection off the inside of the glass. This is corrected by reducing inside light and changing the cameras angle to the glass. In the second pic. the sun light is reflecting off the feeder roof directly into the camera. If you want to be taking pic.s when the sun is directly on the feeder, I'd suggest a coat a flat textured paint in a dark color, to reduce the reflection.

That bird looks really interesting? Do you know what it was?

Back to light problems, I also find that taking pictures out my front window is optimal from about 8:00am to 10:00am. After that it is too bright unless it is an overcast day. The details can get washed out. My (now tacky lol) rear window is the opposite. Best pics are from about 3:00 to when it gets too dark.

I'm so happy with this new set up! I had to take a break to throw together a meatloaf but then ran back to the diaper changer for a few more pics. Here's an unsuspecting chickadee...

thank you..i have also added a feeder that is not in the full sun on the west side of a floirda home. And are you ever right...the copper roof has got to go.

Oops - clicked on the wrong button

Very good shot Lily!!!

Thanks so much Pell! I know you must have a few tips up your sleeve. Your female cardinal pic is one of the nicest ones I've seen!

Great topic, lilyfantn!

I am terrible at bird photography and need all the tips I can get (and new glasses!)--but I read everything I can about it. It's hard to know what is 'right' and good info on the net now because the technology seems to be changing so rapidly although I think much is the same since I took photography at the Univ. of Wisc. back in the 70's.

Anyway, I googled for 'bird photography tips' and found lots of sites and here are links to three if anyone has time to do a lot of reading.

The basic info: http://www.outdooreyes.com/photo30.php3

Lots of details: http://birding.about.com/od/photographytips/Bird_Photography_Tips_and_Howtos.htm

And tips on how to get close to your subject (good luck on this!): http://www.opendigitalphotography.com/Digiscoping/Digiscoping-%11-Birding/Digital-Photography-Tips-for-Birding.html

I will be lurking here reading all the tips, but I don't have a lot to add! Thanks. t.

Good links tabasco, I'm trying to do a ton of research before buying my next camera. Love the tips about being in the car.

I have a question.

Would a lens that goes up to 500mm be too much??>>>)

Thanks so much tabasco! I can't wait to pour over these tips!

Wow, do you have a telephoto that long Pell? The longer of the two I have only goes up to 200mm. I bet a 500mm one would be great. I hope some of our resident experts will chime in here.

No I don't have one but would not mind having one if our experts said it would be a good idea.

Lily: That chickadee shot alone is worth whatever "tackyness factor" the changing table created! :) (Though I don't think it looks tacky at all.) I have more chickadees than anything else, and have yet to get a nice clear shot of one - a topic we've talked about before, I think. You've inspired me to find my own buffet table for my window.
Deb

Great! I can't wait to see your pics! There is a down side though... I didn't get ANYTHING else done today lolol!!

I don't consider myself an expert but I can talk from experience. My first digital camera had 3x optical ... which was inadequate for most bird photography. My next digital camera (Digital SLR) came with a kit lens of 70-300mm. Although an improvement, it too was inadequate. I eventually purchased a 500mm lens which is probably the minimum that most professional bird photographers would recommend. Many professionals still add a 1.4x teleconverter to their 500mm lens to give them 700mm. But all of this equipment is only for the serious photographer because it becomes a lot more expensive and much more cumbersome.

What most people might consider is one of the newer point and shoot digital cameras that offer 12x optical zoom with image stabilization. In addition, if one has the patience, they might consider buying and/or setting up a blind near where the birds frequent. This is the less expensive route.

I tend to spend most of my time out in the field rather than shooting from the house because I am looking for more species of birdlife and I prefer to capture them in their natural habitat rather than on a feeder. Of course, I know not everyone can or wants to do that. Even then, I often find that Bald Eagle in the distance or the waterfowl in the middle of the lake that is still too far away, even for a 500mm lens. So one can never have enough lens.

Linth, do you think a 400mm would be okay? I don't see many 500mm ones around. I also wanted the anti shake in either the camera or lens.
I was thinking about getting a Canon but with a less expensive lens maybe a Tamron or the other one I can't think of right now.

pelletory, as I indicated, one never has enough lens. You eventually work with whatever you have to get the most out of it. A Canon 400mm, or 500mm lens, with IS, will cost $5,000+. For the last two years, I used a 50-500mm Sigma lens. It is very versatile and would cost you about $1,000 (doesn't have image stabilization).

A lot of photographers use a 400mm lens. It's on the short end of what one most likely needs. However, you can always add a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter to it if you find you need more magnification. You will, however, lose some quality with a teleconverter.

You might check if there is a photo shop in your area where you could rent a 400mm lens and try it out before buying. Or, they might have a good return policy if you don't like it.

Linth, I 'm not sure the camera I have now would take that type of lens. I have a Olympus c- 5060 wide zoom.

pelletory, you're correct. The Olympus c-5060 will not accept those lenses. The Olympus c-5060 has a 4x optical zoom with a 27-110mm equivalent. Most people ultimately find that they would like more zoom but unfortunately the camera manufacturers and retailers take advantage of the consumer by marketing all of these obsolete cameras before they are even sold. The majority of consumers just don't know enough when they go to buy a camera and then wind up with something less than they had hoped for. I know from experience. I had an Olympus 3000 with 3x optical zoom.

For example, I just bought my daughter a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-50 for Christmas. It has 10.1 megapixels, 12x optical zoom with a 35-420mm equivalent and has Optical Image Stabilization. It can be purchased for around $500. In comparison, this camera has about four times the zoom capacity that the Olympus c-5060 has, plus 2x times the megapixels. Canon Powershot also has an equivalent point and shoot camera.

However, next month there will be something bigger and better on the market. So you need to think bigger from the beginning and stay ahead of the curve so you don't need (or want) a new camera each year.

Gee, that sounds just like what happens with computers!

Birds have to be one of the most challenging things to photograph on earth. I got my camera a few years ago to take photos of daylilies, my new hobby. Now taking photos of the blooms is right up there with the satisfaction I get from growing them and seeing them bloom. But shooting good photos of birds is a whole different ball game - much more challenging. Its worth all the blurry bad photos when you manage to get a really nice one.

Thanks Linth, We didn't buy it for bird watching, just for vacation and garden photos. Now that I'm into bw, its just not the right camera.

I wasn't so much concerned with an enormous amount of pixels but would like something that I can build on with at least the 400mm.

This message was edited Feb 9, 2007 6:48 AM

This message was edited Feb 9, 2007 6:52 AM

Lily,The only thing I did to get those Cardinal pics was bait them in by putting some seed on the garden stones which are right below the windows.

Gardenglory I love your huge "hanger" for the feeders. Where is the place to buy those???
I like the look of it and size. Looks a much sturdier then the one`s I saw so far in the stores.

linthicum, after reading reviews of digital cameras on c/net, I had pretty much decided on the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-50. How would you rate the one you gave your daughter?

pelletory: You said "I wasn't so much concerned with an enormous amount of pixels." A high pixel number can accomplish the same thing a longer lens can accomplish. The higher pixel number allows you the ability to crop the picture more, and still have a sharp image.

Okay, Thanks Gras. I thought it was just for poster size prints.