Show your Bird Portraits

Thanks to everyone for your responses and advice. I will look into your suggestions for equipment and make a decision soon. The tips on technique and patience are appreciated. I've read on this forum that it's more the photographer who makes the masterpiece than the camera, so I will keep reading books and photo mags and forums like this to keep improving (along with a lot of time out shooting). I am awed by many of the images posted here and hope to capture some like those too one day. :)
 
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serendipidy said:
Thanks to everyone for your responses and advice. I will look into your suggestions for equipment and make a decision soon. The tips on technique and patience are appreciated. I've read on this forum that it's more the photographer who makes the masterpiece than the camera, so I will keep reading books and photo mags and forums like this to keep improving (along with a lot of time out shooting). I am awed by many of the images posted here and hope to capture some like those too one day. :)
One other thing to be careful of is not to over-saturate your images in post processing. Nature photography and high levels of saturation don't really go together. The same goes for sharpening. Sharpening isn't a substitute for soft focusing. Less is often more for wildlife and in many cases you can often say the same compositionally. The objective is to make it look natural. If you look at all of Gary's images, they are all fairly neutral in terms of saturation.
 
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This cattle egret image was taken over 2 weeks ago (I don't get out to shoot very often). I processed it originally in DPP with way too much saturation and sharpening. So I just did it again with a lot less processing per Kernuak's suggestion and it does look much better (more natural).
7D
100-400L@400 F/7.1 1/2500s ISO 400 hand held
 

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Canon 7D
EF300 f/4 L

1) Sharp-tailed Tyrant (BRA: papa-moscas-do-campo)
Culicivora caudacuta

2) White-eared Puffbird (BRA: joão-bobo)
Nystalus chacuru
 

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gary samples said:
Hi just a hobist never have sold a print. been shooting about ten years love to shoot wildlife crazy about birds in flight! posted a few shots from my new 1Dx not great one's frist time out with it using just (AF case 1) to get a feel for the camera so far I love it !!

Please don't ban me LOL

Amazing work! Looking forward to more stellar captures. What location are you shooting at?
 
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param said:
gary samples said:
Hi just a hobist never have sold a print. been shooting about ten years love to shoot wildlife crazy about birds in flight! posted a few shots from my new 1Dx not great one's frist time out with it using just (AF case 1) to get a feel for the camera so far I love it !!

Please don't ban me LOL

Amazing work! Looking forward to more stellar captures. What location are you shooting at?
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Utah
 
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