[BigNasty0213]

Just a moody king tide shot

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[Des]

As someone who struggles to get even a bad bird picture, these are just amazing!

Thank you very much. Getting these sorts of tight shots of birds in the wild at typical distances (upwards of say 10 or 15 metres) generally requires very long, heavy and expensive lenses. It is so much easier and cheaper when the birds come to you, or let you get close - then you can get away with much lighter weight and more affordable gear. There's my secret - get to know the birds and get close! The rest of it - good light, catchlight in the eye, undistracting background and so on - is a combination of positioning and serendipity, and sifting the shots that are gold nuggets from a lot of slurry.

[Mbaez]

JDL Street Art
New Rochelle, NY

KP + Sigma 8-16

[longbow]

DA 20-40 Ltd

[Crooski]

Backlight with the DA * 16-50mm

[AgentL]

Backlight with the DA * 16-50mm

Very cool image, I'm having a bit of a hard time with the contrast between the backlight and the edges of the ship, though... seems like the edges should be softer.

[eric3929]

Some bird portraits with the KP

Really impressive close up of Roberta there! A glamour shot...

[Crooski]

Very cool image, I'm having a bit of a hard time with the contrast between the backlight and the edges of the ship, though... seems like the edges should be softer.

I had to highlight the foreground shadow

[northcoastgreg]

quiet pastoral scene.

Nice star burst

Thanks for you comments.

With the DA 55-300 PLM, with an assist from Silver Efex Pro:

[bkpix]

A few at Finley National Wildlife Refuge in western Oregon this morning with the DA* 300 and 1.4x converter. I've been playing with square cropping, and most of these are cropped pretty substantially from the original, as even 420mm on a KP doesn't get you all that close.

[Des]

Really impressive close up of Roberta there! A glamour shot...

Thanks Eric. She is as sweet a model as you could find!

[northcoastgreg]

Stitched Pano shot using the DA* 300:

[Thagomizer]

Some bird portraits with the KP and Sigma 400mm f5.6 tele macro.

Crimson Rosella (a youngster morphing into the red, blue and black adult plumage)



Galahs (female with the red iris on the left, male on the right)




Grey Shrike-thrush (female). (This is Roberta, one of our friendly residents.)

Wow, those are great shots! Well done!

---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 01:52 PM ----------

It is so much easier and cheaper when the birds come to you, or let you get close - then you can get away with much lighter weight and more affordable gear. There's my secret - get to know the birds and get close! The rest of it - good light, catchlight in the eye, undistracting background and so on - is a combination of positioning and serendipity, and sifting the shots that are gold nuggets from a lot of slurry.

I suppose it depends on the bird, too. Dressing up as Mr. Peanut would bring in the chickadees and nuthatches. To bring in the vultures I could wear a meat suit...

The questions I have are, do the birds want get to know me, and is there a market for slurry?

[eric3929]

Here's two from a walk earlier today. Both shot with the 150-450.

A Northern Mockingbird


and a common mallard

[Des]

Wow, those are great shots! Well done!

Thanks Bruce.

I suppose it depends on the bird, too.

Yes, a more conventional approach was required for this emu with his chicks. KP + 55-300 PLM

Here's two from a walk earlier today. Both shot with the 150-450.

Both excellent captures Eric.