BIRD IN FLIGHT ONLY -- share your BIF photos here

[ISv]

Wiebe, the first picture is the Red-tailed Tropicbird, they are not rare and are nesting here. I'm not sure it is slowing down for landing, it was doing circles above the nest site every time making this display in front of the nest...
The second picture is the rare for the islands Red-billed Tropic bird. I know it's kind of confusing because both birds have red bill... The Red-billed is easily separated by the white tail... Look at the tails of both species (and yes, the eye strip of the Red-billed is longer than in the Red-tailed...).

 

[ISv]

I'm still in process of valuating the photos from my last few weekends and got to this "problem":
When shooting a choppers for example you don't want to see a "frost" propeller - you are loosing the motion. On other hand, "freezing" the BIF seems to be very common practice. In the case with the birds I honestly can not decide what is better (or actually what I like better) - to show more details (overall) or to show the motion... I'm a detail maniac but on other hand I really like to show the birds "alive". Here are two photos to illustrate what I mean (do not compare the IQ of the photos, it's about the way how the bird is expressed). I know it's a pretty much personal preference, and question of creativity but still it's interesting to know the opinion of other people...

 

[Nat_WA]

I'm still in process of valuating the photos from my last few weekends and got to this "problem":
When shooting a choppers for example you don't want to see a "frost" propeller - you are loosing the motion. On other hand, "freezing" the BIF seems to be very common practice. In the case with the birds I honestly can not decide what is better (or actually what I like better) - to show more details (overall) or to show the motion... I'm a detail maniac but on other hand I really like to show the birds "alive". Here are two photos to illustrate what I mean (do not compare the IQ of the photos, it's about the way how the bird is expressed). I know it's a pretty much personal preference, and question of creativity but still it's interesting to know the opinion of other people...

Obviously I can't speak for 'everybody', but general consensus among nature / bird photographers in my neighbourhood is that "as long as the eye / head is sharp and in focus, it comes down to personal preference and what you want to express with your picture". Within that constraint I do appreciate e.g. some blurring in the wing(tip)s...
Some time ago I experimented a bit with this (see this post)
W.

 

[Click]

Obviously I can't speak for 'everybody', but general consensus among nature / bird photographers in my neighbourhood is that "as long as the eye / head is sharp and in focus, it comes down to personal preference and what you want to express with your picture". Within that constraint I do appreciate e.g. some blurring in the wing(tip)s...
Some time ago I experimented a bit with this (see this post)
W.

+1


Nice shots, ISv.

 

[AlanF]

I'm still in process of valuating the photos from my last few weekends and got to this "problem":
When shooting a choppers for example you don't want to see a "frost" propeller - you are loosing the motion. On other hand, "freezing" the BIF seems to be very common practice. In the case with the birds I honestly can not decide what is better (or actually what I like better) - to show more details (overall) or to show the motion... I'm a detail maniac but on other hand I really like to show the birds "alive". Here are two photos to illustrate what I mean (do not compare the IQ of the photos, it's about the way how the bird is expressed). I know it's a pretty much personal preference, and question of creativity but still it's interesting to know the opinion of other people...

That level of wingtip motion is clearly more than acceptable, in my opinion. Here is an extreme case I took 5-6 years a with a 7D. I used to keep it at iso400 or below as the sensor was so noisy, and this shot was at 1/320s. As it was the first shot I had of a kingfisher hovering, I accepted it.

 

[Ozarker]

That level of wingtip motion is clearly more than acceptable, in my opinion. Here is an extreme case I took 5-6 years a with a 7D. I used to keep it at iso400 or below as the sensor was so noisy, and this shot was at 1/320s. As it was the first shot I had of a kingfisher hovering, I accepted it.
View attachment 183395

Beautiful shot, Alan!

 

[Ozarker]

It was a most beautiful day, with several highlights and the sun behind me!

Hope you wore a hat! Beautiful photos.

 

[Click]

Beautiful shot, Alan.

 

[AlanF]

Hope you wore a hat! Beautiful photos.

I always wear in sunny climes an original Cotton Duck Tilley hat, now about 25 years old, a tribute to Canadian persnicketiness.

 

[ISv]

That level of wingtip motion is clearly more than acceptable, in my opinion. Here is an extreme case I took 5-6 years a with a 7D. I used to keep it at iso400 or below as the sensor was so noisy, and this shot was at 1/320s. As it was the first shot I had of a kingfisher hovering, I accepted it.
View attachment 183395

Yeah, it looks extreme for me too... I will accept it too since I still have no kingfisher in my collection...
But I have a hat!

 

[Lalumière]

Some Red Kites feeding in the rain

I really like your pictures of birds of prey flying in the rain, they are very detailed and natural. Congratulations!

 

[Lalumière]

Tricolored Egret
Canon 7D Mk2 with Canon 500mm f4 lens, handheld.
1/800 s, f5, ISO 250 for the first ones, and 1/640, f5, ISO 250 for the last one. These photos were taken near Eagle Island on the St. Lawrence River, QC, Canada

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Lalumiere.

 

[Don Haines]

Tricolored Egret
Canon 7D Mk2 with Canon 500mm f4 lens, handheld.
1/800 s, f5, ISO 250 for the first ones, and 1/640, f5, ISO 250 for the last one. These photos were taken near Eagle Island on the St. Lawrence River, QC, Canada

Nice pictures, but I believe that the bird is a Great Blue Heron.....

I do not believe that there is such a bird as a Tricolored Egret, there is a tri-colored Heron, but it is not native to the area and that bird isn't it. Great Blue Herons are not only native to the area, but quite common. I rarely go for a paddle in the canoe without seeing one. They fish in my back yard so I see them a lot!

 

[Lalumière]

Nice pictures, but I believe that the bird is a Great Blue Heron.....

I do not believe that there is such a bird as a Tricolored Egret, there is a tri-colored Heron, but it is not native to the area and that bird isn't it. Great Blue Herons are not only native to the area, but quite common. I rarely go for a paddle in the canoe without seeing one. They fish in my back yard so I see them a lot!

View attachment 183408View attachment 183407

Thank you for letting me know about the breed and the details.

 

[Lalumière]

Brown Pelican with sun backlight, handheld
Canon 40D with Sigma 50-500mm zoom at 403mm,
1/4000 s, f6.3, ISO 200, -1 00 eV
. . .

 

[Click]

Nice. Well done, Lalumière.

 

[Don Haines]

Brown Pelican with sun backlight,
Canon 40D with Sigma 50-500mm zoom at 403mm,
1/4000 s, f6.3, ISO 200, -1 00 eV
View attachment 183430 . . .

Kind of has that Jurassic Park vibe to it.... Nice shot! Where did you find this one?

 

[Lalumière]

Kind of has that Jurassic Park vibe to it.... Nice shot! Where did you find this one?

I was in a small boat in a lagoon at the end of afternoon when the sun was falling, it was in the north of Margarita Island, Venezuela. Suddenly there were a lot of pelicans landing on the trees, and the one I photographed seemed to land in my direction with the sun in his back!! I just had time to take this picture, and unfortunately my flash was off..

 

[AlanF]

I was in a small boat in a lagoon at the end of afternoon when the sun was falling, it was in the north of Margarita Island, Venezuela. Suddenly there were a lot of pelicans landing on the trees, and the one I photographed seemed to land in my direction with the sun in his back!! I just had time to take this picture, and unfortunately my flash was off..

Would it be good for the bird to flash its eyes coming towards you as it is landing?