Show your Bird Portraits

Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
CR Pro
Nov 7, 2013
5,664
8,491
Germany
Came across this video by chance and figured I would share it.


I hope you all do not mind. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing, @Ramage

Reminds me of the story of that guy, trying to make the shot when the beak just touches the water, needing 400k shots, and in the end didn't get it 100% sharp :ROFLMAO:
 
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Del Paso

M3 Singlestroke
CR Pro
Aug 9, 2018
3,295
4,182
Came across this video by chance and figured I would share it.


I hope you all do not mind. I really enjoyed it.
And you show me this video :love: after I've tried unsuccessfully for 4 hours to catch one single (even blurred!) picture of a kingfisher?
But thanks for sharing !
 
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Nice symmetry, sharp/ unsharp!
Hence the intrusive watermark.

I dont want Filipino bird watchers snatching them for their "fund raising" and "awareness" campaigns.

I rarely see photos of birds in flight with that sort of angle and composition of the subjects. This prompted me to develop a new watermark to dissuade thieves from copy pasting my work for their personal fortunes.

My apologies for the lengthy monologue as this is a rather touchy subject to me as these IP thieves think they "own the birds". And as "owners" they tend to be heavy handed to people like me from any legal interactions with wildlife. Hence their aggressive recruitment campaign that comes off as a bit cult-ish due to their years-long persistence.

These Filipino bird watchers are often loud about hunters, poachers and businesses they think they can take on for the purpose of media millage and news clippings to show to sponsors & perspective new members. It makes them appear to be doing "something".

Unlike Sir David Attenborough they turn a blind eye to groups of persons who create overpopulation out of fear of losing members who are religious conservative that make a bulk of their organization & conservative sponsors who finance their operations.

To me each additional carbon foot print born beyond 2-4 or more births per woman is what is driving accelerated habitat loss out of reasons of supply & demand. "Evil" big business just caters to demand hence the need for raw materials.

They seldom, if ever, speak about that.

During my 1st 2 years of bird photography I was sent 1 dozen invites lobbying me to join them but I politely not reply as I did not take up bird photography to be exposed to these people as they tend to impose their behaviors onto other peoples' lives.

Why spend a fortune on photo gear and trips to be caged by Filipino bird watcher rules & regulations adapted from rich countries whose key concerns are not illegal loggers & illegal mining that last occurred there nearly a century ago?

On average I spend more than 2 days out of the week for nearly a decade to photograph birds & not for the purpose to be in that close proximity to truly awful persons.

If they happen to be at the birding site at the same time I and my group are then my side is polite enough to say "hi" and "hellos" and small talk about the day's activity. Beyond that I'd rather eat somewhere else.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,343
22,520
Thanks for sharing, @Ramage

Reminds me of the story of that guy, trying to make the shot when the beak just touches the water, needing 400k shots, and in the end didn't get it 100% sharp :ROFLMAO:
Like this one done with a 5DSR? 400k shots would have taken over 22 hrs of shooting.
3Q7A5312-DxO_pelican_diving_beak_about to_hit-1.jpg
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,343
22,520
Driving back from a fruitless trip to Otmoor for birdwatching yesterday, we glimpsed a Red Kite circling, we stopped and I grabbed the R5+RF100-500mm, and my wife the R7 + RF100-400mm. I got the shots of its flying in to perch on a tree, but my wife got sharper shots of its perching, better than mine. Those who knock the R7 and the RF 100-400mm should learn.

309A8890-DxO_Red_kite_flying-lsm_Aut_g.jpg309A8960-DxO_Red_kite_flying-lsm_Aut.jpg309A8989-DxO_Red_kite_flying-ls-sh-Motion.jpg3R3A9501-DxO_red_kite_perched_face_on-2_00x.jpg3R3A9504-DxO_red_kite_perched-2_00x.jpg
 
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