Another Flying Edward

06/11/09

In photography, one of the most important things to do composition-wise is to try different angles. :)

This is one of my favorite photographs that I have taken. I had one SB600 just outside my window with a diffuser. The high ISO, which accounts for the lovely graininess on the photo, allowed me to use a high speed with a deep depth of field. This deep depth of field is important in bird photography. You are more likely to get a flying bird in focus. Especially if they are flying straight towards you (and away from you) like mine do.

I used a 50mm 1.8 lens with my Nikon D80. This is tack sharp, very fast, and very affordable at $150.

Curiosity and Photoshop

06/10/09

I tend to do a lot of post processing in Photoshop CS4. This effect was made with the blur tool. Add a mask with a circular gradient and voila. Some selective de-sat has also been used for this effect.

This male cardinal is just outside my window. I used a 50mm f1.8 for this shot. When you are hard pressed for lenses, a clean window and some bird seed are your best friends. Also, the window gives you a pretty constant look of curiosity from the birds.

No flashes or artificial lights used here. The window is under an eave so there is no harsh highlights.

Flying Edward

06\09\09

I call this mourning dove Edward after a friend of mine pointed out he looked like Edward Scissorhands. I actually took this one last year before I had my Alien Bees. I had a utility light hanging under the eave of my house pointed at the window above where I was shooting from. There is a reflector hanging on the window so that it bounces back on any bird that happens to be flying from my "resting stick" to the bird food.

My Bird Photography

My bird photography is different from most, I think. I tend to lean more towards black and white which is rare in the bird photography world.

This is a young Blue Jay. He is peaking in my window with a piece of corn in his mouth. Come back tomorrow for my next photo. I will also be explaining my set-up and photographic processes.