Bird Photography

[fleet mica]

have reported it to Google/YouTube...it's been reported before, and still fucking up

google are sick cunts

[drifting silo]

Yeah

That ones clearly set up

Just cruel

[fleet mica]

I feel like reporting them to the FBI for animal abuse crimes

failing to take down the video means that they are an accomplice

excuse my bad spelling...it's 8.30am, have been up since 5am, had a fucking shit night and have covid...again

fml

[drifting silo]

covid's still around?

havent heard of anyone getting it for quite some time now

[fleet mica]

really?

[drifting silo]

yeah

[fleet mica]

I suspect people are getting sick and not doing RATs and just going to work

[drifting silo]

probably

[fleet mica]

not probably

factual

covid is rampant here

people just don't care and don't bother testing or isolating as it's not legally required anymore for most people

I have to legally test and isolate because of my job

the latest variants are much more infectious than omicron was which was already around the same r0 value as measles

[drifting silo]

this. most people i know just treat it as a regular flu now.

the symptoms are no longer 'lethal' as they were back then

[fleet mica]

for some

[drifting silo]

so we dont often get news of people passing

[fleet mica]

for those of us with compromised immune systems...

people not isolating and testing are just selfish cunts

[drifting silo]

get well soon by the way @fleet mica wishing you a speedy recovery

[spring vault]

we are in the second largest covid wave since the beginning!

[fleet mica]

thanks mate

[spring vault]

most of my work was out sick

[fleet mica]

larger...it's just not being tested and reported...

[spring vault]

probably

[fleet mica]

r0 value for the latest variants is ~r18

anyway...bbl

[ocean frigate]

Yeah the vertical garden things, i had a layover in singapore before

Sad i couldnt explore the city more

[frozen belfry]

going to mandai bird paradise?

[mint warren]

Probably, although I'm not huge on taking pics of birds in captivity

[mint warren]

Heritage gardens section has largest variety of birds recorded

So I'll probably be spending time there

[mint warren]

Also Kingfisher lake apparently lives up to its name

[fleet mica]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYUJspD6v_Q

[barren yoke]

Hiiii

Sorry I haven't been paying attention to the chat

What's up?

[mint warren]

Well Fairy wrens starting to lose breeding colors

which is a bummer

[solar bay]

chickadee looks like he doesen't have a beak

[fleet mica]

looks like I have covid again 😦

[solar bay]

buddy has good balance

[analog kindle]

Haven't been on here in a while, here are some shots🐦
Its winter now!😂

[dusty fog]

nice goose

[dusty fog]

that third one has some super weird proportions haha, what kind is it?

[mint warren]

Red winged fairy wren

[untold nexus]

Hi! Here are some of my bird photography prints. Does anyone have any ideas on a good pricing structure? I’m new and still figuring it out. I sold an A3 framed with ease at AUD $150 but originally thought that might have been too expensive.

[ocean frigate]

Whatever u do make sure it covers your printing and framing costs and at least 50 bucks on top of that imo

[untold nexus]

okay thanks, that does give me a better idea

[spring vault]

I heard that something like 4x the printing cost is a good starting point

[drifting silo]

Do you guys think its ethical to feed birds (scattering seeds around nice branches) to get a good shot?

Or is that considered cheating in bird / wildlife photography in general

[wise trench]

It kinda is, you won’t be able to submit for actual wildlife competitions, but otherwise it’s probably ok

But great photo

[drifting silo]

Lol i didnt feed the birds

I was just wondering

Since it takes a lot of luck/waiting to get a bird on a nice/ideal branch

I was wondering if bird photographers on ig that consistently have pictures of birds on pretty branches fed them

I think i spent about 3 hours walking around the park and waiting at a spot just to get 7-8 usable photos

My fav from that 3 hour session is definitely this one

[drifting silo]

But on a side note, even this is technically just a personal ethics thing right?
Because the judges of the competition won’t be able to actually know if the photographer fed the birds/set up the shot

[wise trench]

Ig

[wheat hare]

As long as you're not giving them ridiculous amounts of food often or food they shouldn't be eating and doing it in spots that don't put the animals in danger who cares.

Don't do it often enough to let them form a dependency on it.

[wheat hare]

Yes it depends on how you feel about it because there are most definitely ways to bait and not make it obvious.

[spring vault]

original pic was boring so I made it black and white and now its art

that's how it works right

[scarlet tulip]

sparrow portraits

[fleet mica]

this is a pretty good video on the subject - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNgbjx5G8pM&

[fleet mica]

personally, I think using calls, food and perches are both cheating. But, others will disagree.

[fleet mica]

that's a lovely shot mate!

[scarlet tulip]

i think they must do

getting a bird on any branch at all is a pain in the ass

[fleet mica]

many do feed and use perches, yes. I know Jan and Duade both do. I personally frown on it. It's a bad process to use with wildlife imho.

[dusty fog]

from what I understand one strategy a lot of people use for songbirds is to have a feeder in their yard and set up some nice perches nearby

[fleet mica]

it can be yeah...it takes a lot of patience to get a bird on a perch naturally.

[fleet mica]

yes, many in North America use this strategy, including Phil Thach.

[dusty fog]

do you think bird feeders are bad in general aside from photography

[scarlet tulip]

Not really

[fleet mica]

personally, yes. I'd rather plant native flowers and trees that the birds get food naturally from

[scarlet tulip]

We impact the lives of animals in so many ways that I don’t figure a bit of seed will hurt

[fleet mica]

damn typos

[spring vault]

at the park I go to most often, people have been feeding birds for decades so when you walk the trails there, all the birds just fly up to all the nearest branches lol

the bird population is definitely inflated there too lol

not the most natural but great for getting pics

[fleet mica]

yes, true, but it makes the birds more susceptible to predators.

[spring vault]

cant let the population get too high now

[dusty fog]

personally I think in terms of suburban areas, it's mostly a lost cause trying to keep their life natural

if I was in a national park or camping in the wilderness I would take it much more seriously

like praetor said, a clean supply of food that is good for them is far better other things they are facing from humans

[fleet mica]

yes, true

it shows how invasive humans have become

[wheat hare]

Hopefully we will all be wiped out soonish

[spring vault]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/06/08/covid-lockdowns-wildlife/

[fleet mica]

can't read that article, wants subscription

[fleet mica]

we won't be wiped out entirely, but I do believe a virus is coming that will make covid look like child's play. It's only a matter of time as we encroach more and more on wild habitats. Bats have 100000 viruses, many of them have not been genetically mapped. Prehistoric viruses that will be released from thawing permafrosts too. We're in for a rough time in the next 50 years.

[wheat hare]

Oh I think the planet will kill us all off in due time

[fleet mica]

that is not in nature's way. Mother nature wants ALL species to survive.

[wheat hare]

lol k

[fleet mica]

we need to adapt and live in harmony with nature. Our species atm thinks we own nature and just does what it wants, with impunity.

the planet was never meant to support 8 billion humans either. We're an example of a "too successful" species.

humanity has a LOT of potential, we're just not anywhere near fulfilling this yet. We are a young species though.

anyway, I am off to play some more Diablo 3. bbl

[wheat hare]

We keep fucking with the atmosphere and it won't matter

[dusty fog]

you may have a point but it's cute to think it's a 50 year timeline lol

[wheat hare]

I just said 'soonish' tbf

[ocean frigate]

I think thats for established pros yk. Idk if u can reliably sell for that out of the gate

[mint warren]

Got some kingfishers today

Just gotta get home and edit

[solar bay]

i try to take photos similar to these but with chickadees but they are so small that they go in between my af points

[dusty fog]

just use single point then : D

[solar bay]

i do but the bird is too low or to high

[dusty fog]

move it or just crop later

[solar bay]

i guess

[dusty fog]

may be smart to keep it on the top focus point so you can keep the whole body in the frame

[solar bay]

i know

quick crop

[mint warren]

Kingfisher time

[spring vault]

main reason I chose a6700 was for the magic af

as long as the bird is in frame it's locked onto its eye

so any bad pics are entirely my own fault

[spring vault]

rare

[wispy mesa]

Parakeet, they live in the wild here.

[wispy mesa]

OK sorry, i think this crop works better, doesn't it?

[waxen shard]

do you have more headroom?

[wispy mesa]

yes!

how much headroom do i need? 😄

[wispy mesa]

I will check that tomorrow, Thanks!

[scarlet tulip]

Wet rainy shitty morning

[dusty fog]

damn that bird has no head

or no body

[scarlet tulip]

kinglets are basically flying orbs

[waxen shard]

borb

[spring vault]

ducc

[fleet mica]

Indian ringneck I believe? We have 5 as pets.

[fleet mica]

I'll take that over this incessant heat...just looked at the long range forecasts and it ain't good...February and March both 3-4 degress above average...given that my room is hitting 32c by midnight...

[scarlet tulip]

Oog

Can you bring an icebox in

[fleet mica]

lovely capture

[fleet mica]

nope. My niece is in with her parents and I'm in her room (both have aircon)

my room is the only room without aircon

hit a new record yesterday

[scarlet tulip]

At least it’s a (hopefully) temporary arrangement

[fleet mica]

33.6 in my room at 6pm

it just gets hotter and hotter throughout the day but then won't give up the heat at night

at 10am it was 28.3

so it whacked on 5.3 degrees between 10am and 6pm

and between 6pm and midnight, it lost 1.3c

there's a combination of factors at play, and nothing I can really do about it. My brother in law and sister cut down all the trees on the East (citing interference with solar panels). So now I have no Eastern shade at all in the morning and the full brunt of the Sun from dawn to when it hits zenith

they've put in fake wooden floors upstairs, directly above my room, and I strongly suspect that these are acting as a heat trap. Before it was natural wooden floor with carpet on it, which breathes

so heat can escape

and they planed a fern right in front of my bedroom window which blocks most of the air flow into my room from the South

of course, Australian houses are overpriced and badly designed. How we never made double bricking and glazed windows legally mandated I do not know

if I had the money, I'd also get reflective coating on the tiles to reflect as much heat back as possible.

we also have a very small front grass lawn between us and the road and the tarmac fucking holds heat in all night. And, that heat radiates. So since my room is so close to that road surface, I am also positive that I'm getting reflective heat from it

thank you local council

[scarlet tulip]

Can you move the plant?

[fleet mica]

Not really. It wouldn’t make much difference anyway

I’m just fucked until I can get aircon

[mint warren]

Wish I had the shutter just a lil higher on this one

reckon it would of come out sharper

[plucky yacht]

my god

Spectacular

[wispy mesa]

Yes, I think so! They are living in the wild here after some escaped their home and then they populated.

[fleet mica]

What were your settings mate?

[fleet mica]

Yes that is very likely. These and Alexandrian Parakeets are notorious for cage escapes

Our young Alex was sitting on top of his cage 1 morning. I had just woken up and came upstairs and spotted it. Thankfully too, as he is a clumsy flyer and quite often ends up on the floor. Both dogs were out, so if he’d ended up on the floor, he’d be dead in an instant. Turns out he’d chewed the plastic ties apart (2 of them!!!) and then pushed open the wire press fit door and climbed out

Looked very pleased with himself too. This problem has now been fixed as I bought 2 padlocks for each wire door (there are 4 doors on the cage, so 8 locks). Fucking $60 AUD

This is him after having a “chunky dunk” LOL (bath)

[wispy mesa]

hahaha i can imagine the look!

[fleet mica]

He is gorgeous

[wispy mesa]

he is ❤️

[fleet mica]

This is his dad. - his name is Zivan

He likes to perch on my head for 30 minutes or more

[mint warren]

Think this was 1/1600

[fleet mica]

And he doesn’t like it when others try and take him off my head

[fleet mica]

Yeah not fast enough. I shoot raptor BIFs at 1/4000 and f8 these days

Even on bright days, it means that I’m shooting at ISO3200-4000

Not a problem with the R3 since the files are so clean

May be problematic with other cameras

[mint warren]

Fair nuf

Mind you was unexpected

Should of been ready anyhow

[fleet mica]

But I also suspect that my mark 1 500f4 prime just can’t keep up AF wise with these modern MLCs

[fleet mica]

That’s how I feel about my Peregrine Falcon shots the other day. Very cranky with myself

Fuck, 26.6c, feels like 31.5c at 7.30pm

[broken mantle]

edited some floating trash and some bamboo poles out of this pic. not sure how I feel about the large empty space(but the birbs pretty far away).

[drifting silo]

The empty space is nice imo. The image looks tilted to me (looking at the reflection). Is that on purpose?

More pics of the Blue Tit

Theres one more pic with the bird looking right at the camera but the lighting wasnt ideal so im struggling on the editing

Sun was too harsh

[wispy mesa]

i am always amazed by your photos. might sneak behind you and learn from you one day 😄

[drifting silo]

Thank you!!
I’d love to go out on a hunt with you for sure!

[wispy mesa]

i personally often like a lot of negative space, but i often seem to be ather alone with that opinion

[drifting silo]

I done messed up bad

[broken mantle]

not on purpose, i just have poor environmental awareness lol.

[drifting silo]

Completely blown the highlights

[wispy mesa]

i always envy the great bird photos and then i think "naaah but here in the area it's only the small little tits NO CHANCE to get them that good" and then you come with your photos and i am like "damn it, it's a skill issue after all" 😄 but yeah i also just started

[broken mantle]

damn i posted that pic to ig, the compression was brutal, they murdered my already 2mp birb lol.

[drifting silo]

Its a lot of waiting… birding is a game of patience

U have no idea how many times i missed a good moment. I SEE it happening but couldnt snap a pic quickly enough

Its always either
“I hear it but i cant find it”
Or
“Ooh my god theres a bird right in front of me” and then as soon as i look into the viewfinder its gone

[wispy mesa]

YES i know that feeling

[wispy mesa]

would that be better?

[waxen shard]

imo it works a bit better, could cut off just a bit from the left of the frame, that's about it tho

[wispy mesa]

i tried to not give up on the 2:3 ratio, but i guess it's just not working with this. thanks!

[solar bay]

that's the magic of having a mediocre camera you can blame it for a bad photo

[drifting silo]

Perfectly said

It aint a skill issue, its cuz of the damn camera

[wispy mesa]

I will use that argument from now on

[drifting silo]

Honest confession:
I made the switch to sony from lumix because of the shitty af which is horrible for wildlife.
And then I watched a vid of someone using the lumix system for wildlife by literally manual focusing. And the pictures were actually pretty good

But nevertheless I just told myself “damn that guy is just a very rare case of being able to really understand/use manual focus effectively for wildlife” as to not feel guilty for not actually learning how to use manual focus properly

It still is fascinating how he could pull it off though. That stuff requires a lot of knowledge of not just the technical side of how manual focus works, but also wildlife behavior

[wispy mesa]

I am a firm believer of so what you want and not feel bad about it. If you want the camera, have it! It's all about fun, not about "not cheating" or "not being lazy" or "not wanting to learn something"

[wheat hare]

and even more luck

[fleet mica]

I like it. Simple and elegant.

[fleet mica]

I really like that first image mate, very nicely done.

[fleet mica]

well, I'm screwed then and have no excuses lol

[mint warren]

Tfw the bee eaters already gone north

Feels bad man

Although ill get some blue throated and blue tail bee eaters in Singapore next month

[fleet mica]

spotted some RBEs at Archerfield wetlands 2 weeks ago. Lots of them

none close, no decent image opportunities

[cursive linden]

How do you get the background to look like this?

[scarlet tulip]

Faster aperture shot wide open

That looks relatively slow actually, 200-600 iirc

[mint warren]

yeah they're moving in big groups atm

decent breeding season apparently

[fleet mica]

Just had a banging session

[mint warren]

phrasing

[fleet mica]

10 birds spotted in a 300m stretch of backroad

[ocean frigate]

https://tenor.com/view/archer-you-what-huh-gif-19676334

[fleet mica]

Black swan, black kite, dollarbirds, redbacked fairywren, pale headed rosella, australasian darter, unknown bird that I think might be a small friar bird

[mint warren]

Red Backed Fairywrens are cool as

[fleet mica]

Several others spotted but not sure on ID

No shots of the dollarbirds and black kite sadly

An egret of some sort

Cattle egrets in breeding plumage

Just lovely!!!

[mint warren]

man I am super hyped for singapore, the variety there for birds is nuts

[drifting silo]

Yup

600mm f6.3

U get pretty shallow dof at these long focal lengths

Ive seen many images with very smooth oof backgrounds taken with the RF 100-500 which has an aperture of f7.1 at the long end

The RF 200-800 looks like a good lens too despite the F6.3-F9

If only canon wasnt so damn expensive

Wait my bad the rf 200-800 actually has an ok price

100-500 however…

[hidden wyvern]

100-500 has an average price for that lens really, compare it more to Sony 100-400 or something like that

200-800 more like 200-600

[spring vault]

got the magic coatings

200-600 GM when

[fleet mica]

slap a 1.4x TC on a the Sony 200-600 or Canon RF100-500 or Nikon 180-600 and their f stop at the long end is just as slow, if not slower...

[fleet mica]

the RF200-800 is great value. That 200mm extended range is unmatched by the other manufacturers.

[fleet mica]

Rainbow Lorikeet shot from 3 or 4 weeks ago. Was in my front yard, hanging out in our Frangipani tree. Very careful editing. Colours are very accurate to the real location

Golden headed Cisticola from 3 weeks ago today. Bremer Rd Jeebropilly QLD. One of my all time fave images

[bright oxide]

seems like it’s been a slow week so here’s a really nice birb picture i got in their natural sleepy habitat

[dusty fog]

Grey Catbird and a Robin

[scarlet tulip]

Nice Robin shot, defocused foliage really works here

[midnight rampart]

gorgeous birds

[gilded yarrow]

why is the Robin black

Where are you from?

Looks nice

[drifting silo]

I think that’s the American Robin

The grey/orange one is European

[gilded yarrow]

Very cool

[drifting silo]

The european one is rounder

[gilded yarrow]

Yeah lmao

[dusty fog]

American Robin is the species, that’s what they’ve always looked like to me

Ah yes ppl said

Anyways I drove 45 minutes to a beach that’s supposed to have crazy bird populations, thought it wouldn’t be a problem that it’s winter because there’s still sightings.

Didn’t see anything but some geese and gulls. 😮‍💨

[spring vault]

saw a bald eagle but only had my phone

[wheat hare]

Well you found a nest too

I’m hoping they start sitting around the house more. They have been sitting in new spots recently right outside the door.

[dusty fog]

he lookin at me

[halcyon brook]

Shinobazu Pond, Tokyo

[mint warren]

https://tenor.com/view/noice-nice-click-gif-8843762

I'm hoping I can get a common kingfisher shot in Singapore next month

[wheat hare]

What if you get an uncommon one though

[mint warren]

haw

[lusty kindle]

a loooot smaller too

i mean it's completely different

the americal one looks a lot more like a thrush

[dusty fog]

no sand pipers found

discord murdered these

[frosty yacht]

those gull shots are so pretty

[solar bay]

got real close to them

[midnight rampart]

that's because the american one is a thrush

[lusty kindle]

yes

[fleet mica]

Pheasant Coucal

from 4 weeks ago or so. Haven't really done any image processing for 4 weeks cos of this infernal heat

Red backed Fairywren, full frame. A very friendly male that posed for probably 5 minutes. This is my favourite image from the series. I would have loved a less cluttered with twigs image, but it does show it in its environment

[fleet mica]

Golden headed Cisticola

[mint warren]

based

[green meadow]

Lately I have tried to get some fly shots of small birds at my bird feeder. Z9 and its 120fps precapture helps a lot. But that 11mp .jpg only feels bit restricting. Results that are combination of high iso and edited jpg ends up being bit soft to my taste.

[spring vault]

lotta fun tho

I def want pre capture on whatever future cam I get

[green meadow]

It is fun and frustrating at the same time. 1000 missed shots to get one decent. 😅 Precapture is great for this kind of erratic and fast action. 👍

[scarlet tulip]

What’s the bird with the orange chin/neck? Bullfinch?

[green meadow]

If you mean this one, then it is bullfinch.

[scarlet tulip]

Such vibrant birds, thanks

[green meadow]

If that fly shot of bullfinch were bit sharper around eye it would be one of my favorite photos that i have taken.

[scarlet tulip]

I hope they bring pre capture to the lesser Z bodies, these are really nice

[green meadow]

Thanks. I think that Z8 has it. I'm hoping that they would include precapture for raw files as well for z9. 😅

[scarlet tulip]

They can probably do some form of it with firmware, but who knows if the physical buffer can handle that

[green meadow]

Yeah, there were some rumors that it might come with update, but I doubt it. Hopefully I'm wrong. 😃

[icy sparrow]

incredible wow

[wheat hare]

Yeah the raw precapture rumor is the only thing I care about.

[drifting silo]

Amazing

Still have lots to learn. I can barely get decent pics of birds in branches let alone BIF

[spring vault]

ok mr featured photo

1st place

[green meadow]

Yeah that grey heron photo of yours is simply amazing. My snapshots are far from that masterpiece. 👌

[fleet mica]

this was on the way back from Mt Glorious/Maiala.

[drifting silo]

That was honestly just luck. Literally my first time going out for pics with my lens and the grey heron just stood still there for a few minutes

Its kinda impossible to mess up that shot cuz i had enough time to get a bunch of pics and different compositions

[ocean frigate]

Your flight ahots are always cool and i like your commitment to shoot in bad weather. Makes for great images

[drifting silo]

Besides it isnt a really challenging photo to get technically. Its a still image, very still. The heron wasn’t moving at all. But BIF woah that stuff is intense

I am just in awe with how crisp these BIF images are. The feathers are perfectly frozen in motion

[fleet mica]

Intermediate Egret (aka plumed Egret)

[spring vault]

wish I could do that

[dusty fog]

aka weird birdb

[drifting silo]

I think this would work better as a 4:5 crop

[spring vault]

that crop is better

[wheat hare]

Agreed

[dusty fog]

hooded something-something?

[drifting silo]

Red-crested Pochard (I checked on Merlin Bird ID)

Im no good at identifying birds
I see cool birb i take photo

[spring vault]

I use Google lens

usually works

told me I saw an Italian sparrow

that one was prolly wrong

or rare find!!!

[drifting silo]

This?

Wait im pretty sure i literally saw it yesterday

Like right in front of me and i got some decent shots

[spring vault]

sparrows all look the same so idc lol

I'm not one of those ppl who keeps lists

[dusty fog]

tht is a house sparrow

[drifting silo]

Nevermind it was a house sparrow

[drifting silo]

I think this is the one i saw too

[dusty fog]

house sparrow

closest other one is a white-throated sparrow, it has stripes on its head

[drifting silo]

Shit quality cuz screenshot from gallery

[spring vault]

but u don't see the carbonara that was just out of frame 🤌

[dusty fog]

haha

i'd have to hear it's accent

a-tweet a-tweetuh

[spring vault]

it's a me, spario

[dusty fog]

oh shit if you google italian sparrow it actually looks the same

is it just another name maybe lol

yes they are the same

just depends if they break their spaghetti

[drifting silo]

This would be like reverse psychology. If u get it right => ur a bot/ai

I also accidentally encountered the parakeets in Cologne.

They are said to have escaped from the pet trade and started populating europe or smth

So not actually native to the area

They were very loud which caught my attention

[dusty fog]

theyre annoying as hell

i'm thinking of the little ones sold in US as pets though

[spring vault]

wish there were more colorful birds here

allegedly there are

I haven't found em yet lol

[drifting silo]

Honestly i just go to the zoo sometimes

Some zoos have lakes with free roaming ducks and its a nice and relaxing way to get pics

[spring vault]

yea I went to the zoo last weekend

[drifting silo]

And i also find that despite it being a zoo, some wild birds actually gather there too

Around the trees

Branches, foliage

And ig theyre used to humans so i can get really close to them easily

[spring vault]

apparently this fucker comes to Michigan sometimes??

more colorful than the ones at the zoo

[dusty fog]

i've been trying to get photos of the blue jays near me for a while but they're very elusive

[drifting silo]

Holy shit

Rainbow

[spring vault]

ai generated mf

my fav zoo bird

most of the birds at my zoo are african

[drifting silo]

My fav zoo bird is a flamingo

Back during my micro four thirds days

Still use that photo as a phone wallpaper

[spring vault]

got a lotta free range peacocks that walk around the paths

[drifting silo]

Its got a special place in my heart.

Probably one of the first few photos that got me really excited for photography

And also editing

I went crazy with the masking

[spring vault]

there's a bunch of wild vultures and cranes and a peregrine falcon that lives at my zoo

[drifting silo]

Cool

[spring vault]

also saw a bald eagle last time I was there

wonder if it visited the bald eagle exhibit and made fun of the residents

[gilded yarrow]

Theres some pretty nice birds around cologne

This was taken like 20 mins away from cologne

[wispy mesa]

Oooh may I ask where? We have some here too, but it's not ideal to photograph them.

[gilded yarrow]

Shouldve been somewhere around here
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z6rTxwZx3iG1qtLh7

A bit further away from cologne than I remembered but still fairly close

[wispy mesa]

It's close to where I live actually, thanks!

[barren yoke]

Heyo

I might be getting the r6 this week 👀

[paper anvil]

🤞

[barren yoke]

But I'm looking at the website and it's not looking good lol. The like, filler for it, is missing

[spring vault]

get used

[paper anvil]

What is a like filler?

[barren yoke]

I am

[barren yoke]

I don't know how to explain it, but on the website, the slot of the r6, there's a blank product. No images. It has the quality listed, and the product name, but no price

[paper anvil]

Ah

[barren yoke]

I was waiting for them to finish posting it before I went there

Apparently we can't go tonight. I'm worried they sold it

[paper anvil]

Doesn’t sound promising. Hope it’s still there.

Hope I didn’t come off as rude with my question. English is my second language. I thought it was a term I hadn’t heard before. 🤗

[barren yoke]

No worries! I should've worded it better.

[barren yoke]

I don't want to call again but I really want to know

[drifting silo]

You should

If u really want it badly

Im not sure if its a thing with online purchases. But when i buy stuff used from another person, theres usually like a deposit to reserve the product for you

And then you can go see the product yourself, if it didnt meet your expectations you lose your deposit but dont end up buying smth u dont want

[gilded yarrow]

Thats funny, my dad lives like 10 mins by car away from there

[barren yoke]

Last I called it wasn't on the website yet

And now it's gone

I don't know when they'll get another used one in, and I can't go until tomorrow.

So I guess I'll just have to wait and call tomorrow

[wispy mesa]

I need to be careful then a out what I write here 😉

[solar bay]

the most colorful birds of my region is the american redstart and the western tanager (not my photos)

[barren yoke]

It's back!

I took a nap because I was bored and tired. When I woke up they have a cover image on it

Still no price though. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow and then we can go check it out

[fleet mica]

Congrats!

[barren yoke]

:D

I will be completely broke but. That's worth it

Likeeee what do I need money for when you have a camera?

[fleet mica]

Eggactly

Peregrine Falcon

Lifer for me

Heavy crop even at 700mm reach

Still, very chuffed

Libby, when you get the R6, make sure to check out Duade Paton’s Sigma 150-600 setup video to reduce potential AF micro focus issues

[barren yoke]

Ooo can you send it in discord please?

I saw a peregrine falcon when I went to Chicago for a Medieval show

It flew around the room. It was awesome

[fleet mica]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l7TEu1Tgq5I

I think there’s a 2nd video too

[barren yoke]

Okay I'm watching that one right now. I'll let you know tomorrow how everything goes!

[fleet mica]

https://youtu.be/0lmjC07v8yI?si=zFgk3LjYqNoZUShT

https://youtu.be/WP1NRh8TS5M?si=O3G1Y7IlFopkoFuj

He’s probably the best birding photography channel on YouTube and a must subscribe imho Libby

Phil Thach is good

Scott at Wild Alaska too

Jan Wegener also

[wheat hare]

eh him and Jan are alright

[spring vault]

who is your fav

[fleet mica]

Scott Keys is also OK

[fleet mica]

For me, Duade hands down

[mint warren]

I considered this combo

but I ended up with the R7

[mint warren]

I am thinking of getting another lens

something that talks better with the eye tracking autofocus

maybe something for when the fairy wrens get super close

[paper anvil]

Im dreaming of a 100-400 for my first “bird-lens” down the line. One day…

[mint warren]

400 is good

[paper anvil]

Using an Aps-c camera too.

[broken mantle]

todays birb

[mint warren]

Noice

[barren yoke]

It's on hold! I'm getting it tomorrow

[paper anvil]

🎉

[gritty geode]

how do people get super tight photos of birds?

are they physically close with a long fl lens or are they extreme crops?

[drifting silo]

Generally its ideal to have a long fl and be relatively close to the bird to get the best image quality

But if you have a high res sensor and sharp glass, then cropping is also possible

[gritty geode]

this is marvelous, where was it taken?

[gritty geode]

how do i get close without having the bird fly away

and if i do want to get close to get an action shot such as the one you just posted, at long fl wouldn't it be super hard to aim the camera?

[paper anvil]

…and is a tripod a necessity at 500 mm + in order to get sharp images?

[ocean frigate]

not at all

[broken mantle]

You sneak

[paper anvil]

Hooray!

[broken mantle]

With a ghillie suit

And a full camo wrap for your gear

Then explain to security that you are not hunting the birds.

Jk. I got lucky this one landed near me, and the bird is used to seeing people there. I don’t really “sneak” closer to a bird, especially when near its nests. You can easily scare them away and they probably won’t be returning to that spot.

[drifting silo]

At the Cologne Zoo

They have a nice lake with lots of ducks and such

[broken mantle]

Im not sure why, but this pic explodes in bluesky 🫠. Making it my most liked pic on that platform.

[drifting silo]

Its a great photo

Was the bird really upside down like that?

[broken mantle]

I don’t understand

Yea

Try viewing it upside down, makes even less sense lol

[drifting silo]

Hehe i like to pretend i dont care while walking slowly closer to it

Pretend to not be interested

Act as if i dont notice it

Loll

[broken mantle]

Yea, eye contact scares them away

And all the rare birds can smell your gear from miles away. Try visiting the same spot without a camera and you will find the rare birds .

[drifting silo]

Stronge arms is key

[last terrace]

I walk towards them until they look at me, then walk away in a circle and come back closer to them but from behind. Walking towards them but in a zigzag and somehow that works

[drifting silo]

And breathing technique

[last terrace]

Fr, always happens

[broken mantle]

[drifting silo]

Its like how u wanna shoot with a sniper or bow

It feels like it at least

Breathe in and hold

[last terrace]

If u hold, it keeps the cam still

[drifting silo]

And also how your hold the camera, i think i saw this tip back then in youtube

You keep your elbows to ur chest

Adds stability

[last terrace]

Yh I saw that one

[broken mantle]

Luckily i use a zoom lens. If it’s too tight i can zoom out.

[last terrace]

Simon dentremeont or whatever his name is

[broken mantle]

Yeah the canadian guy

Very helpful videos

[drifting silo]

Yeah that guy

[broken mantle]

Will be going on a non-birding trip tomorrow. But will still be carrying my 150-600mm

Don’t want to regret it lol

[drifting silo]

I honestly just love knowing i have all my lenses ready for any circumstance lol

Even if i know theres a really low chance of me using it

[broken mantle]

Yeah. Going to Bali tomorrow. But not gonna focus on birding.

[drifting silo]

I think i spent too much time on a crouched posture while photographing water birds

[broken mantle]

I even packed my macro extension tubes and a foldable diffuser, just in case of macro stuff

[drifting silo]

Now my left shoulder hurts

[broken mantle]

Same here. For me its aiming upwards for a long time.

[drifting silo]

All for the shot

[broken mantle]

Yea

[last terrace]

My shoulder hurts from carrying around my tripod

[broken mantle]

Tripod, gimbal head, long lens.

[last terrace]

Nightmare

But also my best friend

[broken mantle]

I usually carry them like that

[last terrace]

SAme here

[broken mantle]

But with a backpack and everything

[last terrace]

But on my right

[broken mantle]

Then regret the next morning

[last terrace]

Yh same

[last terrace]

I regret it

Then do it again lmao

[broken mantle]

Yea

I think thats what people call “addiction”

[last terrace]

[broken mantle]

Just increase the shutter speed.

[paper anvil]

My tripod weighs 2.2 kg. Looking at one that weighs 1.6 .

[broken mantle]

Unless you are doing some early or late birding. You will probably need a tripod for those slower shutter speeds

[paper anvil]

Sounds reasonable, thank you!

[last terrace]

What is the weight capacity?

[broken mantle]

Or if your are waiting at a nest. Just bring your tripod.

[paper anvil]

Will have to look it up for my current one. The one I’m looking at can carry 8 kg.

[last terrace]

That's not much tbh

If you upgrade lenses and stuff

It can weigh quite a bit

[last terrace]

Do you have a gimbal head

[broken mantle]

Yeah make sure to count the gimbal head to the equation

They weigh a lot

[paper anvil]

Happy with it overall.

[last terrace]

Yh that's not a gimbal head

If you get one, it makes a huge difference

[paper anvil]

Had to look up gimbal head. Just inherited this one.

[last terrace]

This is a gimbal head

[paper anvil]

Will look into them.

[broken mantle]

They are a game changer for me

Moving from a ballhead.

[paper anvil]

Do you need a “special” tripod for a gimbal head or can you attach it to an arca swiss plate?

Guess it replaces the arca Swiss plate?

[broken mantle]

Some tripods allows you to replace the head(the ballhead/fluidhead/etc)

[gritty geode]

damn i see

[paper anvil]

Neat. Thank you!

[gritty geode]

hey that looks like the same one as mine lmao

[last terrace]

K&f concept?

[broken mantle]

Yea

But the tripod body is too shaky lol. Will upgrade that later. The gimbalhead is fine.

[lusty kindle]

Italian sparrows are not house sparrows

They don't have the grey part on their head

[barren yoke]

I GOT THE CAMERA

And I ordered the adapter. It'll be here tomorrow

I just need to buy the dock, a filter and maybe a short lens

I don't really feel like I need to spend 300$ rn

Soooo yeah

We did buy the dock actually lol

[wispy mesa]

Congrats!

[spring vault]

first owl :)))

[scarlet tulip]

Hooty guy

Barred?

[spring vault]

yea

ibis op

[scarlet tulip]

W

That 200-600 (I assume) does nice

[spring vault]

70-350

[scarlet tulip]

Impressive, he must have been close

[spring vault]

yeah was like 30ft from the boardwalk

was difficult to find an angle without sticks in the way tho

learned about em from a local bird discord

[scarlet tulip]

That’s a popular hangout?

[spring vault]

nah theyve just been sitting there all day lol

I rushed there after work

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/971797891326832710/1205572730376953906/DSC_6308-Enhanced-NR.jpg?ex=65d8dc19&is=65c66719&hm=a50d8090d6889c6bd0a0a6f7f029eac5bb017c8f343b3d48cad6d54f5c693c04&

not mine one of theirs

very hd

[wheat hare]

local birding discords are the fricken best

[scarlet tulip]

So much better than the big international ones

I can’t wait for those guys to start idiot-clapping about whatever they rename Cooper’s Hawks too

[dusty fog]

how to find 👀

all i can find are the big ones

[spring vault]

search your local/regional subreddit

someone might have asked there already

mines for the entire state and its split up into dozens of chats for each county lol

mute everything except your own

[dusty fog]

i dont think i have one of those either

i found one but its just one guy posting pictures lmao

[wheat hare]

I've had success finding them in facebook groups or regional audubon mailinglists/bulletin boards

one I found through there had invites to some others as well

[gritty geode]

how'd you get this shot?

[halcyon brook]

hmm, like this.
using monopod, panning, rapid shot, Manual Focus. (PENTAX K-3II)

[drifting silo]

Manual focus holy shit

You are one of the rare people that can MF BIF

Respect

[gritty geode]

whoah

how does one MF something moving like birds?

[paper anvil]

Caught this during a walk this past summer. One of my first bird photos. Cropped it and tried correcting the exposure. Quite happy with it as a beginner (Edit: spelling). Used an 18-55 lens that I believe was accidentally set to manual exposure.

[drifting silo]

I dont think you can really correct the exposure on that unfortunately. The blacks are crushed

[paper anvil]

And this is an improvement compared to the original. Pretty sure I had accidentally set the lens to manual.

[drifting silo]

Manual focus?

[paper anvil]

Aperture.

This was one of the first times I used the lens. ☺️

[drifting silo]

Ughh so theres an aperture switch on the lens that allows you to adjust the aperture on the lens, but not with a dedicated aperture ring? And based on the review, the camera does not always respond to the user input

[paper anvil]

Kit lens from Fuji. Happy with it overall though. Like the feel of it.

[halcyon brook]

thanks, but It's not my talent.
Pentax DSLR has an ability called “Catch in Focus”.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/photo-articles/catch-in-focus-tutorial.html

[hidden wyvern]

carpet bomber in flight

[scarlet tulip]

Super grey out

But a kestrel is a kestrel

[spring vault]

nice

[scarlet tulip]

dov

[spring vault]

I see those a lot but haven't gotten a good pic yet

[scarlet tulip]

They’re a pain

Skittish and prone to ground feeding

I sat under a tree with low branches and waited for this one

[ocean frigate]

Double headed hydra

[dark minnow]

First few images with the r7

[spring vault]

what lens tho

[dark minnow]

efs 55-250 stm

not the best but works for now

[scarlet tulip]

It certainly seems to work

[cursive linden]

Thoughts on the edit?

[cursive linden]

Looks great! Settings?

[dark minnow]

all at 1/1000 iso 800, 250mm f5.6 for the 2 on sticks and 100 mm f5.6 for the standing one

[solar bay]

wow they look way sharper than the t2i

[dark minnow]

yeah they do, i think the 32 mp helps a lot

[analog kindle]

holy cow! I love Lorikeets, I'd like to see one someday

Dark-Eyed Junco, under the feeder.

[scarlet tulip]

Nice job getting one up close

[drifting silo]

Love the backlighting

[analog kindle]

Thanks! Never thought I would get a a shot like this in February! (I'm in Michigan)

[solar bay]

what do you guys think

[dark minnow]

is this edited?

if not then you should try raise the shadows on the eye so that its easier to make the eye contact

[scarlet tulip]

That can be hard with chickadees, it’s worth a shot but one can only do so much

[dark minnow]

yeah

[solar bay]

yes this was the before

[mint warren]

Japanese pied Wagtails are petty neat

[broken mantle]

fav bird pic

[drifting silo]

Beautiful capture of motion. This photograph perfectly depicts the speed of a bird in flight

[broken mantle]

yeah, could win some competition using that pic.

[drifting silo]

Here’s my fav birb pic

I call it ‘kung fu fighting’

Its almost good but also bad enough to not be useable

This one’s an absolute banger too 🔥

[midnight rampart]

just saw an entire flock of coots and of course it's the one time i didn't have my camera on me 😭

[plucky yacht]

its epic fortunately

[dusty fog]

This is amazing haha

[lusty kindle]

my guy is living well it seems

[spring vault]

omg bffs

[mint warren]

Harem anime MC birb

[wise trench]

Nice and sharp, but bad background

[broken spruce]

I'm more annoyed by the foreground than the background here to be honest.

[wise trench]

Tbh with u, I really mean everything besides the bird

[hidden wyvern]

someone tripped, had a bit of fun going around outside, now to edit

[barren yoke]

Nooo the photos look good on my PC

What's wrong with my phone

[hidden wyvern]

could be just the screen

second one looks fine for me

[hidden wyvern]

just kind of did this while i was photographing the bird

[ocean frigate]

goofy ass bird

[drifting silo]

Got super lucky with this shot

The birb landed on a branch right in front of me as soon as I just got my cam out

Ive been getting more sharp shots with the 200-600. I guess I wasnt aware of how wobbly my arms were when I just started bird photography

[dusty fog]

wobbly arms will get ya

[dark minnow]

Chickadees in the snow from this morning

[broken mantle]

all that noise

[solar bay]

not bad at all

[broken mantle]

yeah, thats at 25600 iso https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1069501477799874585/1208962303148560484/image.png?ex=65e530e2&is=65d2bbe2&hm=bdb887fe3a693dcca633de3cddcff1376d394f25cd4224df3306b81dcc2730dc&

this one is at 102400(non raw and only in B/W), but noticeably less usable. mightve messed up some settings too(first time using the built in night profile lol)

[solar bay]

incredible cameras are so good these days

[solar bay]

is it black and white because it's so overexposed?

[broken mantle]

camera limitation.

[solar bay]

huh

[broken mantle]

colors up to 25600 iso, and only B/W above that.

[broken mantle]

but yeah, was using the built in preset for that pic, mightve done better exposure if I can edit some of the settings(havent figured out how for the extended iso stuff), the chest of the bird is overblown lol.

[solar bay]

wow that is good for a camera from 2015

[broken mantle]

yeah

[solar bay]

way better than my canon m100 and t7

[broken mantle]

but sensor size doesnt lie. had a friend using a d750(full frame), at half the iso and faster ss for that owl pic. and noticeably better.(well he also was using a 500mm pf lens)

but imma still stick to this body. will just save up for more glass

[solar bay]

this is at iso 1600 on my t7

[broken mantle]

sometimes it do be like that lol. had some crappy noisy pic at iso 800, but a usable pic at iso 6k.

sometimes i dont even know how shit works

[solar bay]

i know it's so weird

[broken mantle]

but nowadays im not that scared of iso noise

i better have a noisy sharp pic, that a pic with an ss too slow to freeze the action.

[solar bay]

same

[broken mantle]

i have high hopes on the future of denoising program

[solar bay]

same

good night

[wheat hare]

uh denoising programs are already insane

[broken mantle]

yeah, been using the new one that comes with lightroom classic.

[wheat hare]

DXO does a really good job with feathers

[hidden wyvern]

got something im happy with with two ducks, simple photo all things considered

[mint warren]

This heatwave is finally finishing

can go out do some photography in the morn

[spring vault]

went out to the park and got no bird pics then came home and took this from my driveway lol

[scarlet tulip]

Sometimes it happens tht way

Nice angle

[mint warren]

slept in instead

lighting looks shit anyway'

[barren yoke]

Lol yeah I'm waiting for this stupid snow to melt so I can take some photos

[ocean frigate]

snow makes for good piccies

depends on the birds tho

they all up and leave

[drifting silo]

Snow is awesome

[ocean frigate]

yes sir 🫡

#🌳・nature message

[barren yoke]

When it's not a foot on the ground and cold

[ocean frigate]

No pain no gain 💪

[barren yoke]

Hey yall BTW Dave was banned

[ocean frigate]

Yessir 🤫 we dont talk about it

[barren yoke]

Oh sorry I just wanted them to know because we talked alot on here with him

And maybe they were confused that he was gone or smth

[bright oxide]

my curiosity wants to know why, but i know that stuffs classified most of the time LOL

[scarlet tulip]

Shame

I liked his stufff

[broken mantle]

I found it

https://tenor.com/view/purple-dove-gif-7805606

[barren yoke]

He's also on Instagram so you can see what he posts

[wheat hare]

Weird, rip Dave

Shame he did it to himself

[dark minnow]

who is dave?

[drifting silo]

An active member of this forum

He used to chat a lot here

[dark minnow]

oh ok

[bright oxide]

why so purple

[broken mantle]

Yeah my bad, the lightroom auto settings f’ed up the colors a bit. Had to delete my ig post after i realized that

[bright oxide]

oh i thought that pigeon was just very purple LMAO

[broken mantle]

Without the auto boost in saturation and vibrance.

[bright oxide]

maybe he is a little on the purple side lol

[broken mantle]

Imma unsend since im unsure lol.

But was a bit dissappointed, went to that area since someone spotted an owl

No owl

But thats how it is with wildlife

[scarlet tulip]

Lighting was more diverse than the take today

Just white-throat sparrows

[wheat hare]

https://tenor.com/view/awww-blushing-stop-it-gif-8624350259229898023

[scarlet tulip]

They are cute little things

All puffed up to keep the cold out

[dusty fog]

it still amazes me how they survive the winter

i heard they have to tuck their feet into their feathers otherwise they would literally just freeze

all of my house finches are gone though ever since last winter

maybe they didnt make it

[bright oxide]

lets hope they're enjoying the warm life somewhere else

[drifting silo]

Must be really cold there. The birds in my area don’t get that puffed up

The birds in indonesia are especially skinny cuz its so damn hot and humid

[broken mantle]

Those are borbs

[scarlet tulip]

Not super cold, but one notices it

[plucky yacht]

beautiful

What up gang

[scarlet tulip]

Nice variety

Rufous hummingbird?

[plucky yacht]

either that or allen's hummingbird yea

[wheat hare]

So many swans here in the fields I should stop and take some real photos some day

They just chill everywhere

[solar bay]

sick

[dark minnow]

Technically first kingfisher picture

[scarlet tulip]

This is the easiest way to get close lol

[dark minnow]

Yeah

No need for costly big lenses

[scarlet tulip]

Can use a phone, even

[dark minnow]

yeah

and you always have one, you dont have to find one and wait for it

[green meadow]

Can someone teach me what would be good shutter speed to get movement on the wings but sharp head when bird is taking off? 1/500s movement on the wings is great but head is not sharp enough. Is there any other techniques asides to shutter speed that might help?

[drifting silo]

Youtube photographer suggested 1/2000, same for my local wildlife photography group

Pretty sure I did 1/800s on a blue tit taking off and it was still blurred 🥲

I might have to get a gimbal head, so far been shooting handheld

Maybe thatll help

[green meadow]

Have to try that. It is surely quite fine line where there is motion blur and sharpness in the same photo. Also other variables might affect also such as distance to subject. If you don't have to move lot then tripod and gimbal head is ok. But if you're changing place often then it is just annoying to carry them around.

at bird feeder and/or if you are waiting for bird to appear in some specific place then gimbal head is great.

[lusty kindle]

At 1/800 or 1/1000 the wings will be blurry, but the head might not

[green meadow]

Sounds like luck is heavily involved in this kind of photos. 😅

[drifting silo]

Dude you got that BIF photo that’s featured Im pretty sure thats a testament of your skill

I havent got any BIF shots im happy with

Im probably going to spend this summer in a national park hoping to up my wildlife photos

[green meadow]

Even with pre capture luck is heavily involved too. 😆

And your photos are amazing already. 👌

[spring vault]

I was inspired by your pre capture bif pics and held down my shutter button for longer and it might have added like 500 to my shutter life but I got this yesterday lol.

[green meadow]

Cool photo. Wider angle works great.

It is also quite unique feeling when a bird lands on your hand.

[spring vault]

stopped down a lot to make sure things were still sharp but now the background is ugly lol

next time I'll find a better bg

[green meadow]

Bg is maybe bit messy but not bad. And with the right bg it doesn't need to be completely blurry.

[scarlet tulip]

I end up having to accept that wings get blurred unless I really want to blow ISO up

[solar bay]

i have something better a pet duck

no need for big lenses

[drifting silo]

That reminds me of the time I went to the zoo and only had my phone with me. Wanted to photograph the geese because I thought they would be friendly and I could get closer to them but I got hissed at so I had to fuck off

[drifting silo]

400 f2.8 + stacked sensor is the solution

[solar bay]

typical geese

[scarlet tulip]

Just make the aperture wider

Never fails

[narrow snow]

duk

[solar bay]

my bad

[narrow snow]

Duk

[barren yoke]

Woah. Thats neat

[solar bay]

duk

[narrow snow]

thank you!

[narrow snow]

Looking like a chicken leg 😭

[solar bay]

looks like it's howling

[narrow snow]

LMAO

[late island]

Black capped chickadee

[solar bay]

nice

[last terrace]

Maybe add some breathing space at the bottom of the bird?

Because its looking down

[wheat hare]

There’s plenty of space there

[scarlet tulip]

If you want to emphasize the direction the bird is looking towards, just crop some off the top of the frame

[spring vault]

rip fish

first pic missed focus

selling my camera

[scarlet tulip]

Such nice light

[spring vault]

don't have those in MI

[scarlet tulip]

You might on the lakeshore

Cleveland has them, I assume Detroit does too

[spring vault]

ebird says cleveland is as far as they go 😔

[scarlet tulip]

I’m surprised

They’re so cosmopolitan out east

[spring vault]

theres a pond in my back yard but I never actually take pics there cos the ducks are too scared so im thinking I should get a photo blind to hide in lol

[bright oxide]

do you guys only shoot birds or any other wildlife as well?

[last terrace]

Other wildlife but mainly birds

[scarlet tulip]

I don’t seem other things out

But I shoot them

[paper anvil]

Is a 70-300 capable of shooting small birds or do you have to go 100-400 or more for that?

[mint warren]

In my experience 300 not sufficient most of the time

Although recently have had some situations with curious fairy wrens where a shorter focal length would of been handy

[paper anvil]

Do you remember what lens you used for these?

[drifting silo]

I like to shoot monke

But generally if it’s any other animal, especially exotic ones. I photograph them in Zoos since you can’t find them in cities/areas close to the city

So this may work with shorter focal lengths like 70-200 (the focal length I started with when I wanted to do wildlife but didn’t have a tele)

This is 85mm f1.8

Portrait lens lol

This is 70mm f4

[drifting silo]

If you’re photographing small wild birds, definitely try to get 600mm if possible. Most of my small bird photos are at 600mm. Sometimes around 400mm works too if the bird is closer to you

But very rarely below 400

Maybe if you’re using a hide/bird feeder

[paper anvil]

Hmm. The 70-300 is still very tempting. Would probably use it more overall. Also: cheaper. Would be my second lens after 18-55.

But a bird-specific lens would be 100-400 or longer. Thank you!

[drifting silo]

Smiling orangutans shot is using 20-70mm. Absolutely a legendary moment. I just switched to sony at the time and had only one lens with me. Not even the 85mm. When I was at the orangutan enclosure, just looking at them not even taking photos because theyre too far away, they started approaching me. Getting very close and observing me. And 2 of them started hugging/playing and I just started bursting away. When I looked back at the photos I got this one particular moment

It’s like a literal smile for the camera pose

[paper anvil]

They’re beautiful animals.

[drifting silo]

They are indeed. I get lost in their eyes when photographing them. Monkeys just look so much like humans. Something about their gaze makes you feel a certain connection

If I could one day afford it/have the time for it, I would definitely travel to actual forests/national parks to photograph them in their natural habitats

I’m well aware of the fact that supporting Zoos isnt exactly ethical

[paper anvil]

The older I get the more torn I am. Suppose that I’m mostly neutral. I can appreciate them as long as the animals are treated well and they don’t have dolphins jump through hoops and so on.

A zoo I visited a couple of times in my youth did that.

In a perfect world I’d rather see them in a national park.

[spring vault]

I use a 350mm lens right now on apsc (525mm ffeq) and I crop most images further. Some pics of especially bigger birds or habitat pics I use less than 350.

[green meadow]

Yeah mostly birds because they are so much easier to find. Mammals are active mainly night time so at least I see them very rarely.

[spring vault]

saw a muskrat once

that's the extent of my non deer or squirrel animal photography

I got a lotta zoo pics though

I guess I take lots of pics of pet cats and dogs if that counts lol

I like to take insect macro pics

[paper anvil]

@drifting silo

[drifting silo]

Monke

[wheat hare]

Zoos are an interesting dilemma. Because you take away zoos and you take away the ability for people to actually see and connect with animals they normally wouldn’t. If people don’t have that connection I imagine we would have a lot less avenues for preservation or management because people just won’t care anymore.

Zoos have also been successfully used to help supplement wild populations in decline.

There are bad ones for sure

[paper anvil]

Agreed.

Not birds but perhaps my all time favorites when it comes to animals. 😍

(Ignore the shoes/feet in the first picture…)

[scarlet tulip]

The squirrel was shot with an old Tokina 70-210, the others are a teleconverted 300PF

[scarlet tulip]

The only time I find a 300 useful is for birds in flight across a pretty short distance

Makes tracking easier and keeps ISO down relative to a longer slower lens

[paper anvil]

Is that full frame or aps-c?

In my case it’s aps-c, so it’s about 105-450 mm. Do you think the longer end is of any use for perched birds or do you need closer to 600 mm?

[scarlet tulip]

I used an unconverted 300mm on APSC for a long time

You have to get close but it’s fine

[paper anvil]

Hmm.

[scarlet tulip]

On full-frame I use a 300 converted to 500, or unconverted for fliers like the cormorants

300 on APSC

[paper anvil]

Looks more than good enough to me.

[bright oxide]

remember you are using fuji, 70-300 is closer to 105-450. 100-400 is closer to 150-600 ffeq which is what most users here are using

oh you just spoke about that. sorry

was reading too to bottom

[paper anvil]

Ah. Did just my mind that there’s a good chance this is full frame-heavy forum. 😌

(Also, using an XT4 and very happy with it.

[bright oxide]

yeah it def is a heavy full frame forum