Birds

Out and About

Written by Webmaster Saturday, 26 July 2008 15:20

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"God gives every bird his worm, but He does not throw it into the nest." P. D. James 

 

 

 

 

 

Aegithalos caudatus (Long tailed tit )
 
On an afternoon trip through the local park I was "hunting" for birds, but I was not very lucky. All of them were too far away or hidden in the bush while making a lot of noise so none of them could be captured with the camera. Then behind me in a small tree I heard this long tailed tit. Without thinking I turned around and made some shots. This had as a consequence that I completely messed up my exposure to avoid blown highlights. These shooting parameters were meant to be used in a completely other scene, so the picture came out way too dark despite the direct sun hitting the little bird. This picture really shows the true advantage of working in RAW as I could bring up the exposure and alter the white balance because I don't want the moody yellow sunlit pictures here, but a neutral presentation of this bird.
 
Photo by Frank Panis

Shooting Data:
 
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/6400 - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.3.2

 

 

 

Prunella modularis (Hedge sparrow / Dunnock)
 
It was foggy when I just had my new telelens, but I was burning to use it. Most litte birds were too shy but I could approach this young hedge sparrow to about 12 meters. The fog lowered the contrast a little bit, but with the use of curves I was able to minimize the effects of it.
 
Photo by Frank Panis

Shooting Data:
 
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.3.2

 

 

 

 

Parus major (Great tit)
 
I made a feeding spot last fall for the small birds that constantly fly around the house, and with the actual cold temperatures it is frequently visited by many of them. This Great tit took several seeds out of the feeding net and jumped up on a branch of a bush nearby to peal and eat them. This way I was able to make a fairly natural shot of this bird at a very close distance (inside the house). The first shot shows the Great tit sitting on a branch and the second shows the bird eating a seed that's kept firmly between it's feet.
 
Photo by Frank Panis

Shooting Data:
 
1. Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/750s - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0
 
2. Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400s - f2.8
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.4.0

 

 

 

Nirundo rustica (common name: Swallow; Barn swallow)

These swallows were sitting on those plants at the Evros Delta reminding me of a group of spectators enjoying the other birds in the area. Hard to resist this kind of moments..

Photo by George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/8, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS2, levels adjusted, smart sharpening added and resized. Some of the pictures taken at the Evros Delta and Dadia forest are oversharpened intentionally, to make the main subject more "visible".   

 

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