Capturing distinctive bird images

[weepete]

Kris, thanks for the article, very interesting. I have loads of Shite Hawks (Gulls) where I live and usually find them very boring. I suppose it's because they've always been there and are looked on as pests. However, having said all that maybe they'll be good to practice on. You mention that you use Auto ISO, I don't know Canikons so I'm not sure if that is fully auto or within a range. My Pentax can be set within a given ISO range and I was wondering what you would suggest. I shouldn't have to much of a problem going fairly high as the birds are white and the background is unlikely to be very dark. Your advice would be appreciated.

Thanks mate
Ray

"Shite Hawks" that gave me a good old chuckle.

Nicely done Kris, I enjoyed the read. I've a wee question about focal lengths if you don't mind. Just wondering how important having that 600mm is, say opposed to a slightly shorter 500mm for bird shots?

 

[annamaria]

Great tips! I will try it with my 55-300 mm lens. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Fudd]

For the D600 hold the ISO button and turn the front adjustment wheel with your index finger until you see an A next to ISO in the top LCD display

Thanks for the info, Bill. It's another bit of information I'll benefit from.

This thread has taught me the importance of knowing the capabilities of the camera body I'm using. It's also reminded me of how little I know about photography in general.

Because I'm a bit of a 'workaholic' , and have found photography to be a relaxing hobby, I've decided to make some changes that'll afford me more time to learn more about the hobby.

 

[Fudd]

Bill is correct in his post above.. Also in the shooting menu (camera) you can adjust the SS and ISO range under ISO sensitivity settings. I have this saved in "My menu" for quick access.. I'm glad I have helped to inspire you!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this thread. The info provided has helped me, immensely!
Auto ISO? Hmmm.... does my camera (d600) have that? lol
This thread has taught me how little I know about the equipment I'm using. It's opened many doors for me.

I saved mine in the U1 position on the main dial. Again; it's just a feature I wouldn't have explored if I hadn't seen this thread.
I'll be looking forward to learning more about the "my menu" option.

 

[jkzo]

Thank you Kris. I was expecting this for quite some time........

 

[coastalconn]

Thanks everyone!

"Shite Hawks" that gave me a good old chuckle.

Nicely done Kris, I enjoyed the read. I've a wee question about focal lengths if you don't mind. Just wondering how important having that 600mm is, say opposed to a slightly shorter 500mm for bird shots?

I would say, but the longest you can afford and get as close as possible. A super sharp 500 will give better results than a ho-hum 600.

I'll be looking forward to learning more about the "my menu" option.

If you haven't found "my menu" yet, it is the last option on the menu section. Depending on your camera you can save the things you use most frequently in one spot. You can sort them by importance. Some cameras allow you to instantly access the top item by pressing the function button.

 

[SquarePeg]

Interesting write up! Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Fudd]

I finally had an opportunity to try the auto ISO setting that was suggested by the TS.

I decided to take the camera along during an early morning walk. This is one shot (out of 537.. lol) I took of a gull at sunrise.
That gull would have been a blur if I hadn't seen this thread.

 

[sunshineweaver]

What a great read.. I have recently just started to branch out into photography as a hobby for the moment. I have been trying to get out and focus on the birds in my backyard now that "Spring" is here. Perfect timing to read this post, I found it too be very helpful.

Thanks

 

[sunshineweaver]

This is beautiful.

I finally had an opportunity to try the auto ISO setting that was suggested by the TS.

I decided to take the camera along during an early morning walk. This is one shot (out of 537.. lol) I took of a gull at sunrise.
That gull would have been a blur if I hadn't seen this thread.

 

[sunshineweaver]

I took this photo well sitting in my backyard yesterday afternoon on my Pentax X-5

 

[Seventen]

Thank you so much for sharing this great write up. I enjoyed this a lot and been quite excited with it been telling the wife about many parts of it, I do feel sorry for her she don't really have much interest in these things but there was some parts she even found quite interesting.

Some great tips I can be using from this write up, so thank you for your time to do this

 

[anytimewildlife]

Great shots and the article is very informative. Capturing best photos really needs patience and perseverance. I'm sure lots of aspiring photographers would love to read this one.

 

[Peeb]

Resurrecting this old thread because it's just that good.

Thanks again, Coastalconn

 

[birdbonkers84]

As a fledgling (see what I did there?) aspiring wildlife photographer I found this post extremely informative and helpful! I have started on garden birds (got my feeders out), mainly shooting robins, sparrows, tits and starlings. Haven't taken my Nikon 55-300 lens down the beach yet to snap gulls, but I'm looking forward to it! Just need to get the practice in now!!

P.S following you on Flickr too!