Herons + Osprey

[CouncilmanDoug]

went and tried to do some birding yesterday with my old ai'd 135mm 2.8. Managed to get some photos I was happy with, let me know what you think.

 

[DaninMD]

I really like the last one. the first shot the heron is just too small/far away.

 

[Raj_55555]

The silhouette is the best without doubt, great shot there. But I like #1 too, I like the editing work there. #4 is a very good shot, but is strangely lit for me and could use better editing.

 

[DaninMD]

I don't like the editing/blurring on #1, the foreground blurring just doenst look natural to me

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

I don't like the editing/blurring on #1, the foreground blurring just doenst look natural to me

I mean the only editing done on that photo was a raw conversion and curves/contrast adjustment in photoshop. The foreground bokeh is just from me being low to the water and shooting at 2.8. I've always liked foreground bokeh just because it isn't used as often now and I like the way it looks, especially waves in the water.

 

[baturn]

I kinda like them all to varying degrees, and would only add that in most, if the bird is the subject, it should take up more of the frame. IMO

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

I kinda like them all to varying degrees, and would only add that in most, if the bird is the subject, it should take up more of the frame. IMO

I know what you mean, I really need to get a solid longer telephoto.

 

[coastalconn]

The first 2 look like Reddish Egrets to me! Cool we don't have them here.. I think you are due for a birding lens

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

The first 2 look like Reddish Egrets to me! Cool we don't have them here.. I think you are due for a birding lens

I believe the first two are juvenile blue herons, do you know what kind this is?

And I really do need to get some kind of long lens, how do you think one of the af 300mm f4's would be on a d600? I was checking out some of the superzooms too but any ones that seem good enough are out of my price range and their slowness scares me. I might rent some kind of superzoom and see how I like it.

 

[coastalconn]

Nope, first 2 are Reddish Egrets, Adults for sure.. Pink bill gives it away.. Reddish Egret, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Last one looks like a Tri-colored to me.. yellow on bill white belly.. Tricolored Heron, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

I think many people shoot the 300 F4 AF-S on FX cameras. It works pretty well with the 1.4x TC also.. If the Tamron 150-600 every comes out it might be a viable option and I am sure there will be many samples on the net and in my flickr group I started. Canon users are saying it's great on the 6D. When I shot with the D600 for a few weeks I found it very forgiving compared to the D7100 because the pixel density is much lower on the D600. Where the D7100 puts 24 MP, the D600 only puts 10, so pixel blurring is less prevalent..

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

that Tamron look intriguing, would be great for surfing as well.

 

[DaninMD]

I don't like the editing/blurring on #1, the foreground blurring just doenst look natural to me

I mean the only editing done on that photo was a raw conversion and curves/contrast adjustment in photoshop. The foreground bokeh is just from me being low to the water and shooting at 2.8. I've always liked foreground bokeh just because it isn't used as often now and I like the way it looks, especially waves in the water.

oh, it looked like you blurred it in PS or something, similar to what people do when they do the miniaturization look, my bad. thanks.