My first attempt at...birds

Inga the Rottie · Jun 8, 2015

Well, I have been very impressed with bird photography for quite some time. I especially love the in flight shots but don't have a lens long enough to do anything impressive there. I have felt like I can't get a decent shot to save my life lately and just have not shot anything much lately at all. The other day I packed up my camera and went out to shoot some birds. There is a sanctuary less then an hour a way so that is where I headed to. It wasn't ideal as I noted once there, that too many people around, the water was icky and of course, many in cages. I was determined to at least try to get a few as I can't learn if I don't try. Anyway, here are a few. Please critique and give any suggestions for improving my photos. Thank you so much. Also, for those of you with the amazing In flight photos, what lenses do you use?

Inga the Rottie · Jun 8, 2015

Constructive criticism and hints welcome, please

Marty2015 · Jun 8, 2015

Nice shots

Inga the Rottie · Jun 8, 2015

Marty2015 said:
Nice shots

Thanks Marty Any thoughts as to how I can improve?

Marty2015 · Jun 8, 2015

I'm new at this... just starting out and trying to learn sorry

baturn · Jun 8, 2015

Very nice! I prefer to see the entire bird in my photos but that's entirely personal. just keep at it and develop your own preferences.

kundalini · Jun 8, 2015

#1 and #2 are misses for different reasons. #1 has such an acute angle that realism is out the window. Secondly, it appears you shot this near noon time judging by the harsh lined shadows. Unless you cropped this severely, an external flash would have made a world of difference. Even at 6 to 8 feet, the built-in flash would have been a benefit.
#2 Without any back lighting, the pheasant is floating in the frame. The whole bird in landscape orientation would have been better IMO.
#3 is a decent shot, but the catch light confirms the time of day as previously mentioned.
#4 is too damn cute to criticize.

Thanks for sharing.

soufiej · Jun 9, 2015

Inga the Rottie said:
Well, I have been very impressed with bird photography for quite some time. I especially love the in flight shots but don't have a lens long enough to do anything impressive there. I have felt like I can't get a decent shot to save my life lately and just have not shot anything much lately at all. The other day I packed up my camera and went out to shoot some birds. There is a sanctuary less then an hour a way so that is where I headed to. It wasn't ideal as I noted once there, that too many people around, the water was icky and of course, many in cages. I was determined to at least try to get a few as I can't learn if I don't try. Anyway, here are a few. Please critique and give any suggestions for improving my photos. Thank you so much. Also, for those of you with the amazing In flight photos, what lenses do you use? View attachment 102970 View attachment 102971

View attachment 102967 View attachment 102968

I was unaware of the need or even desire for "realism" in every photo. I find nothing incorrect or wrong about removing realism from a photo. Just don't make every photo "unrealistic". Or every photo hyper-realistic. Just don't make every photo every photo.

I'm also not sure what a flash would have added to the first image. It would, IMO, have made the shot even less dynamic. And that is a problem I would point to in your shots. For the most part, the images are flat and not too interesting. And you seem to be in love with your zoom just a little too much for my tastes.

It seems this was your first trip to the sanctuary and you were caught unaware of the situations you would face. You are totally correct that you shouldn't walk away and not take photos when you find a less than ideal situation. However, IMO, what you've shown us is the first draft of your novel. You have a few chapter outlines and not a completed conversation to be found.

If you are headed to a location where you have the more controlled conditions of a zoo or sanctuary, then choose your time wisely. Make a scouting out interesting stuff for future reference trip and then secondary trips to get the real story line of the environment. Bright noon day sun, which is what appears in your shots, will almost always bring with it a flatness to the subject and a less than interesting look to your shots.

"Available Light" photography is not about using whatever light you find when you choose to show up but rather about knowing how and when to use what light you select. Nothing against your shots or your intent but, what's difficult about the situation you captured? Large aperture, fast shutter speed and loads of sunlight. You don't have to make it appear as though you tortured yourself to get a shot but most anyone could have taken the shots you've shown us and done it will a fully automatic point and shoot. In that respect, there's no "there" there. It would appear you took a shot of any bird that was standing still in an unobstructed shot.

It's not a criticism as much as a hint; choose a more interesting time to make your trip to a location where the animals are always going to be on display. Birds are a part of the "wildlife" genre of photography and you should, IMO, give us some context of the environment in which the critters live and exist. Ducks-near-water doesn't exactly qualify as "enviromental" context.

Plan a first trip which might include some photos of birds and animals and interesting environments you want to return to. But do not mistake these images - these notes to self - for shots which have some interest. They might but your's presently do not.

Your present collection shown here is not something I will return to for another look. I won't come back and wonder about the technique used to get that shot and that shot. I won't bother to look more deeply into the image because there is nothing more to see. Close up of duck's head. Ducks near water. They are as interesting as the titles would make them out to be.

Take your preliminary photographic notes - these shots - and plan your second and third trips to get the more dynamic, more interesting images that will really makes us want to come back for more.

There's nothing wrong with your shots, there's just nothing special about your shots. Work on how to build that interest, even if you are using a simple P&S camera. Go back and try again. Don't just snap the birds because they're not moving. Consider the time of day and the quality of the light you will be shooting in. Consider ducks-near-water to be a given and then go looking for the more unusual shot. The folks at the sanctuary have probably invested some time and effort into making a sanctuary that reflects the environment of their friends. Show some of that. Back off the zoom a bit.

This second and possibly third time, your available light will mean you may be working quickly to capture the best light. That's challenging for a student of photography so plan well and well in advance of the trip for how to deal with quickly changing conditions. If you are not shooting in fully automatic mode, study up on what settings your camera will require to deal with your subjects in a certain quality of light. Don't force yourself to get through everything. The birds aren't going anywhere so make another trip if needed.

dennybeall · Jun 9, 2015

I like the second and third ones, especially the colors in the second. The first one could use some sharpness and perhaps a different crop in that it is uninteresting with no central point. The last one is OK but once again kinda uninteresting, perhaps a severe crop of just the two birds??
Well done for a first effort.
When you see the bird(s) try and ask yourself what photo little Susie would take with her little brownie box camera, AND take something different...