A New Camera and a Woodpecker

[sm4him]

So, I've been anxious to really try out my new D7000, but horribly busy at work. Finally got a day off on Friday, and took to the backyard to practice focusing this thing on some birds.

I have a red-bellied woodpecker, as well as some hairy woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers. They all like to taunt me--if I go out without my camera, they fly right over to the feeder, or down low on one of the trees. But they can "sense" when I have the camera, and they stay way up high when I just can't get close enough with the 75-300 lens I'm using to do them much justice.

But--this guy has now decided he likes the seed I've been putting down on top of a woodpile. I'd seen him twice in the last two weeks (when, of course, I didn't have my camera at the ready). Friday, he decided to reward me and my new camera.

These are nowhere near the quality of some TPF bird posters. I'm using a 75-300 f/4.5-5.6, and have no idea how to properly sharpen in Photoshop (well, actually PS Elements at home right now, until I replace my Macbook, or my PS software) so I tend to not really do it at all. These are mostly unsharpened, or just sharpened a little in Camera Raw.

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Loving the new D7000! And, once I get the project I'm currently working on off to the printer, which will happen on Monday, I will have nearly two weeks of vacation time I have to use before the end of the year--so, lots of vacation days coming to use the camera!! WooHoo!

 

[BlackSheep]

Your last two shots (#4 and 5) are pretty good, especially given that you are working with a brand new camera (congrats!!).
Nicely done.

 

[coastalconn]

Looks like you are off to a good start.. Warned you it will become very addicting. The first thing I can say to really help out is beware of the light. It really helps if the sun is behind you as it illuminates the feathers and will give better details and the desired "catchlight" in the eyes... And yes, I used to see so many birds until I started wandering around with my camera Have fun with your new toy, it is a very nice upgrade!

 

[e.rose]

Is it just me or are they sliiiiightly underexposed?

It could just be me. I'm tired. And caffeinated.

I really like your last capture though. He's very regal looking.

Woodpeckers are cute! I had no idea. Now I want one. :lmao:

 

[sm4him]

Your last two shots (#4 and 5) are pretty good, especially given that you are working with a brand new camera (congrats!!).
Nicely done.

Looks like you are off to a good start.. Warned you it will become very addicting. The first thing I can say to really help out is beware of the light. It really helps if the sun is behind you as it illuminates the feathers and will give better details and the desired "catchlight" in the eyes... And yes, I used to see so many birds until I started wandering around with my camera Have fun with your new toy, it is a very nice upgrade!

Thanks, both of you! coastalconn, thanks for the encouragement. Shooting in my backyard, the light is going to be tricky, because there are very few ways to get the light BEHIND the trees where the birds are. I have exactly three trees--well, no, actually I have HALF of a tree in my yard. The other half is in my neighbor's yard, and then there are two trees in my other neighbor's yard that are right up next to my property line. But they are oriented basically North & South, so the sun is never really "behind" them. Unless I go into the neighbor's yard. WAY into their yard. I'm not above that. One of them wouldn't mind. The other might shoot me.

And yes, it's very addicting. But I knew that already. I did some birds in the spring with the D5100 and my 55-300, but then I got my macro and got addicted to bugs. I REALLY wanna get out to some of the wildlife areas near me and hunt down the bigger birds, though...
And the camera is a MUCH bigger upgrade than I really realized. A lot to learn...

Is it just me or are they sliiiiightly underexposed?

It could just be me. I'm tired. And caffeinated.

I really like your last capture though. He's very regal looking.

Woodpeckers are cute! I had no idea. Now I want one. :lmao:

No, it's not just you. They probably are underexposed a little. I had such an awful time learning how to get decent focus with the D7000, that I kinda forgot about decent metering, too. Sheesh, gotta think of EVERYthing!!
Still LOTS to work out with this new camera, and lots of room to improve--but luckily, I have vacation time I have to use before the end of the year, so from this point out, I only have 3- and 4-day work weeks this month!