A few pictures taken in a wetlands preserve in Los Angeles, a few miles north of the airport. I tried some bird shots, and learned mostly that a) you need a tripod, and b) aim the spot focus at the eyes, not the body, and c) go at sunrise or sundown, not mid-day. I hope to come back soon and get some more serious shots.



A blue heron (I think?)

[Carpon]

Never had duck soup but not going to order it anytime soon Really like the colour and framing, very nice.

[sealonsf]

I'd call that a successful outing. Lovely photos.

[Janse]

Very nice shots, as always. :-)

[luftfluss]

#3 just pops off the screen, wow!

#2 is indeed a great blue heron.

Midday light (sunshine) does, in fact, stink for most wildlife shooting, lol. But often that's the only time one can get out to shoot.

I find that I don't need to use a tripod for wildlife shooting, because I need to keep a fast shutter speed anyway. Generally, I want at least 1/500s. Herons can be different, though, because they are sometimes perfectly still. If I can, I like to sit when I shoot - more stable that way, and creates a better angle. Not always practical if you are in a swamp, though!

[GeoJerry]

Thanks carpon, sealonsf, janse, and luftluss! Much appreciated! Hope I can get some better focus on the heron next time.

[eaglem]

Very good series.............................well done!

[GeoJerry]

Very good series.............................well done!

Thank you sir!