pretty birds,

[rick93]

Hi friends,

I was walking around in the bush a while back and saw these birds. Hard to get close to but I thought I would share. These are the times when I wish for a nice 500mm lens but I will just try with what I have (tamron 70-300 SP VC) I don't even 'want' a 500mm lens since I cant afford one
I know that they are soft but that's the best I could get (I think) Both shot at 1/640sec, ISO 400, and the first one at f/6.3 second at f/5.6.

1.

2.

Thanks for looking and comments will be appreciated.

 

[BlackSheep]

Actually, your second photo doesn't look too soft, at least not to me. Is it cropped already?

 

[irfan.in.tx]

The second shot looks quite sharp and has good composition.. If you crop it to make it more of a vertical orientation (or at least remove the foreground leaf on the left), it will look very nice.

 

[WesternGuy]

The first one is soft because it is a bit out of focus. The second one is nice and sharp and as irfan.in.tx says, if you crop it to take out the leaf in the lower left, you will get a better image. The leaf is OOF and is a distraction in an otherwise decent capture. I am just curious as to what these birds are - they look like cinnamon-chested bee-eaters.
______________
WesternGuy

P.S. You just think you don't want a 500mm lens if you are shooting birds - every bird-shooter I know (including me) wants a 500 or 600mm lens, whether they can afford it or not. :mrgreen:

 

[Jaemie]

The second is very nice!

 

[Terenas1986]

The 2nd photo is good enough... although I would have composed it to the left (birds on the left, branches in the middle - not so much important - and right side is "empty"). But it is good enough this way as well.
First one is blurry a bit yeah... but is the lens truly soft? I don't know about that... however you might have focusing issues there as I look at it... was that branch shaking away-and-back from the camera? Cause that might have been your issue sometimes... I had it too. If you're not fast enough snapping the picture RIGHT after the focusing sound, then "an out-of-focus danger is lighting up above your head"! ))

 

[rick93]

Thanks very much all.

@Blacksheep; I did crop it but I didn't think about the banana-leaf at the bottom-left.

@Irfan.in.tx; thanks, check the two edits, any better?

@WesternGuy; glad to hear that it is out of focus. Then at least I know I am doing something wrong, not the lens.

P.S. You just think you don't want a 500mm lens if you are shooting birds - every bird-shooter I know (including me) wants a 500 or 600mm lens, whether they can afford it or not. :mrgreen:

Lol, I just don't wanna waste my time wishing for a huge lens while knowing that there is no possibility affording it nor getting it past my family. They already think that I am never gonna be content with a lens (did quite a bit of selling and buying this year) so telling them that I am gonna sell my tammy and get a 500mm $2000 lens would bring war

@Jeamie; glad you like them!

@Terenas1986; I think the branch was shaking. Thanks for the tip about the focusing-sound-press theory!

The two edits

1.

2.

 

[Jaemie]

I like edit #1. Sweet and simple and it works.

 

[Patriot]

But can you eat them?

 

[JoshuaSimPhotography]

But can you eat them?

Wait! what?

 

[irfan.in.tx]

Edit 1 works well. It is nice.

 

[Jaemie]

But can you eat them?

Maybe, huh? I've been places where the people are so hard up for food they eat whatever they can catch and local wildlife is quite decimated.

 

[Patriot]

I wasnt really thinking about eating them lol. I cant believe you thought I was for real haha.

Nice pictures by the way, I like the last one you did.

 

[joinebee]

1st one is cool

 

[rick93]

But can you eat them?

Maybe, huh? I've been places where the people are so hard up for food they eat whatever they can catch and local wildlife is quite decimated.

I would have been very popular here if I had shot these birds with something else then my camera.... I have seen people eat humming birds here... the ones that when you throw them up in the air they kind of float down..... lots of meat for sure.
Even though you were kidding (patriot) I am sure these birds would taste good. I could send you a whole list of all the weird!! meats I have eaten. After all, this is Africa.