Show your Bird Portraits

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#2,581
Jack Douglas said:
Very nice click, how close would you be to that green heron? 500 X1.6 puts you equivalently at 800. Any thoughts on the pro's and cons of FF vs Crop for what us bird shooters are trying to achieve with the various lenses and extenders?

Jack
Click to expand...

Thanks Jack.

Around 70 feet maybe.

I have a 500mm f4LII and a 600 f4LII. I use the 500 mm when I take pictures while kayaking, it's a lot easier than the bigger 600. I use the 600 mm everywhere else to get more reach. I also use those lenses with a FF (1DX) + extender 1.4 III.


I’m not really cropping. I’m just changing a little the composition of the picture.
 
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#2,584
Thanks Moobark and click. I'm confident you're right. I was thrown by the yellow patches, which the Savannah also has. That was a great little video. I had no idea we had those sparrows here :-[ Just goes to show what a camera can do to a guy - a whole new life!

Now I know who can answer my what's this questions. How about the previous wren? It doesn't really look like my friendly house wren flying to her house (very darkish brown).

Click, two years ago I looked at an inflatable kayak but backed away because it was one man (wife likes the outings too) and then various folk advised that it doesn't go well with a camera. So, then I started looking into the smaller inflatable dingys and for now that's on hold because I have too many unfinished jobs around the acreage. I'd be interested to hear your comments. BTW I think I should have remembered what you shoot with from a previous post. How do you allocate the duties between the 1Dx and the 7D and what's your thoughts relative to me thinking 7D2 with 6D as backup?

Jack
 
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#2,586
Jack Douglas said:
Thanks Moobark and click. I'm confident you're right. I was thrown by the yellow patches, which the Savannah also has. That was a great little video. I had no idea we had those sparrows here :-[ Just goes to show what a camera can do to a guy - a whole new life!

Now I know who can answer my what's this questions. How about the previous wren? It doesn't really look like my friendly house wren flying to her house (very darkish brown).

Click, two years ago I looked at an inflatable kayak but backed away because it was one man (wife likes the outings too) and then various folk advised that it doesn't go well with a camera. So, then I started looking into the smaller inflatable dingys and for now that's on hold because I have too many unfinished jobs around the acreage. I'd be interested to hear your comments. BTW I think I should have remembered what you shoot with from a previous post. How do you allocate the duties between the 1Dx and the 7D and what's your thoughts relative to me thinking 7D2 with 6D as backup?

Jack
Click to expand...

Something to keep in mind when identifying birds is that they have two different sets of feathers each year. There is the "summer" or "breeding" plumage, and the "winter" or "non-breeding" plumage. Most birds look similar in both, although there are always small differences that are good to know to help you identify them during different seasons. Some birds have radically different summer plumage. Males are usually more colorful during summer/mating seasons. Additionally, you have to contend with juveniles, and for some birds (like bald eagles) multiple years of different juvi plumage that is like neither adult seasonal plumage.

Birds have to molt, twice a year, in order to change their feathers like that. During transitory phases, when molting is actually occurring, it can often be quite difficult to identify some birds. "Old" feathers tend to be raddy, lack color, or be otherwise unidentifiable without more detailed knowledge about the plumage of each species, in all seasons, for all ages and genders. ;)

I highly recommend getting a bird identification guide. I am a personal fan of Sibley (they include a lot of excellent information on how to identify birds, areas of plumage on the body and head with official names for each region, etc), and their art is superb. There are plenty of other guides as well, but having at least one is fairly essential to solidly identify a bird you've never seen before.
 
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#2,588
Just got my new 5D3 back from Canon service center calibration 2 days ago and even though it was dusk and getting dark, I tried it out on some ducks and Harry the Heron. Some shots were 6400 ISO or higher. Could never have done that with my 7D.
100-400L, f/7.1 handheld.
 

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#2,589
Just got my new 5D3 back from Canon service center calibration 2 days ago and even though it was dusk and getting dark, I tried it out on some ducks and Harry the Heron. Some shots were 6400 ISO or higher. Could never have done that with my 7D.
100-400L, f/7.1 handheld.
 

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#2,592
serendipidy said:
Just got my new 5D3 back from Canon service center calibration 2 days ago and even though it was dusk and getting dark, I tried it out on some ducks and Harry the Heron. Some shots were 6400 ISO or higher. Could never have done that with my 7D.
100-400L, f/7.1 handheld.
Click to expand...
I love the second picture. Aaron holding the fish, fish holding the bread.... You are THE heron photographer.
 
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#2,593
Jack Douglas said:
Thanks Moobark and click. I'm confident you're right. I was thrown by the yellow patches, which the Savannah also has. That was a great little video. I had no idea we had those sparrows here :-[ Just goes to show what a camera can do to a guy - a whole new life!

Now I know who can answer my what's this questions. How about the previous wren? It doesn't really look like my friendly house wren flying to her house (very darkish brown).

Click, two years ago I looked at an inflatable kayak but backed away because it was one man (wife likes the outings too) and then various folk advised that it doesn't go well with a camera. So, then I started looking into the smaller inflatable dingys and for now that's on hold because I have too many unfinished jobs around the acreage. I'd be interested to hear your comments. BTW I think I should have remembered what you shoot with from a previous post. How do you allocate the duties between the 1Dx and the 7D and what's your thoughts relative to me thinking 7D2 with 6D as backup?

Jack
Click to expand...


Hello Jack,

I have a Boreal Design composite kayak. No problem for photography. I keep the camera between my legs while pladdling, there is no water at all inside or on the floor. I don’t recommend a two seater if you want to take pictures. Two single-seat kayaks are the best…. It’s more manoeuvrable, you do not have an other person in your field of view, and you can go by yourself if your wife doesn’t feel like it. (And it will save your marriage LOL ;D It’s difficult to synchronize for paddling and manoeuvring )

I use a monopod to stabilize the lens and camera. I raise it just high enough to get the camera in front of my eye while I’m seated, then, fold it back when I’m not using it. I use a Manfrotto 234, it’s working great.

I have sold my 7D, I’m now using my 1DX for every thing. The 7DII might be very interesting, but I’m going to stay with the 1DX for now.

I’m sure that the combo 7DII / 6D can be more than fine for what you want to do though.
 
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#2,594
serendipidy said:
Just got my new 5D3 back from Canon service center calibration 2 days ago and even though it was dusk and getting dark, I tried it out on some ducks and Harry the Heron. Some shots were 6400 ISO or higher. Could never have done that with my 7D.
100-400L, f/7.1 handheld.
Click to expand...


Harry the Heron is back! :) Very nice shots Serendipidy.
 
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#2,595
Thanks for the kind words Click and Jack.

Jack Douglas said:
Must admit I'm getting confused with my sparrows! Is this a white-throated Moobark. Do you have Savannahs and do you know what to look for in keeping them straight?

6D 300 X2 640th F11 ISO 1600

Jack
Click to expand...

I'm sure it's a white-throated; Savannah sparrows lack the grey around the eyes.
About that wren earlier, I don't know about you but house wrens are not friendly and are quite aggressive. When you said it scolded at you, I'm pretty sure it's a house wren.
On a darker note, they're known to pierce eggs of other cavity nesters like bluebirds. Have's an angry looking house wren (7D, ISO400, 1/800s, F/6.3, 700mm).
I prefer to differentiate wrens by song and habitat so I can't tell from your image alone what it is. Since you liked the video, here's their Winter Wren video:
Winter Wren Portrait
 

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#2,596
Don Haines said:
serendipidy said:
Just got my new 5D3 back from Canon service center calibration 2 days ago and even though it was dusk and getting dark, I tried it out on some ducks and Harry the Heron. Some shots were 6400 ISO or higher. Could never have done that with my 7D.
100-400L, f/7.1 handheld.
Click to expand...
I love the second picture. Aaron holding the fish, fish holding the bread.... You are THE heron photographer.
Click to expand...
Yup! Lovely shot! How long do herons live? I should google that. We can expect such shots for a long time :)
 
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