Bird for C&C (D300S - 300 mm 4.0 - TC-14E - SB-900 - Better Beamer)

I shot these photos this week in a place called Lagoa do Peixe (Fish Pond) in southern Brazil.
I would like to hear your criticisms and comments.

All with Nikon D300S - Nikkor 300 mm 4.0 AF-S - Nikkor TC-14E II - SB-900 - Better Beamer

1) f/5.6 1/600 ISO:200



2) f/5.6 1/2000 ISO:200



3) f/5.6 1/600 ISO:200



4) f/5.6 1/1250 ISO:200



5) f/5.6 1/2000 ISO:200



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Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

You cut the top too close on a couple of shots, were you that close? The 1/2000 pics look much sharper to me than the 1/200 & 1/250's. I have this same great lens and TC, it's wonderful.

Avoid clipping wings or any part of the bird.
Make sure that when you're focusing, focus as close to the head as you can.
If they're too far, focus on the body.
If you get a close shot, make it a profile shot.
Don't necessarily have to have the whole bird in the frame.

I suggest shooting without the BB and get used to shooting birds using just natural light. Learn to walk before running.

wapsijim said:

You cut the top too close on a couple of shots, were you that close?

Click to expand...

Yep, when it saw me (#1) it took off almost passing over me.
--
Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

donski said:

I suggest shooting without the BB and get used to shooting birds using just natural light. Learn to walk before running.

Click to expand...

I need it to help me avoid blur at 420 mm no VR handheld

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Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

Bump up the ole shutter speed there to avoid blur.
Normally for BIF you want to keep a minimum 1/1000s SS.
Go slower when they're perched.
If you can't get a fast SS due to conditions then bump the ISO.
Slight noise > blurred image.
I've been shooting birds for a while and never did I require a BB.

I'll eventually head towards that direction but for now I'm just going to keep it natural til I got the technique down pat.
Good luck.

The face in #1 is blown out (overexposed). Perhaps you can adjust that area in CaptureNX2 to pull it down some.

Several shots are not framed well and cut off part of the bird, or missed the best wing/head angle.

I'm also now learning to shoot the 300F4+1.4 TC handheld. The key is a high shutter speed - higher than I expected to try to free the wing tips. I do rely on Ch mode at 8fps to take several shots as I try to pan with the birds, in the hopes I get one good shot with all the elements in place.

Here's a couple of my luckier ones. And for my skill level right now, it is luck, though persistence in trying over and over also increases my chances.

This one was shot with a D700 and 80-400vr (at ISO 400 and about 300mm), but I only used 1/500th and the wings are blurred.



This one was shot with a D300 and 80-400vr, and I boosted ISO (to 640) to get a shutter speed of 1/1250th - and the wingtips are still blurred!



Last last spring I got a 300F4 and a 1.4 TC, and I will start practicing with that combo a lot this fall and winter. I think it's clearly a bit sharper than my 80-400vr, but I've already seen the value of having the flexibility of the zoom for flying birds. Hopefully I can get good results at less than the F9 I need with the 80-400 so I can get some higher shutter speeds.

--
Craig
http://www.cjcphoto.net

for your detailed comments!
Nice shots.
--
Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

Thanks again donski,

I agree with you to increase the ISO.
I'd just add that the SB-900 in BL mode (fill flasch) has a
behavior quite subtle and more help than hinder.

--
Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

Nikon D300S - Nikkor 300 mm 4.0 AF-S - Nikkor TC-14E II - SB-900 - Better Beamer -
f/5.6 1/2000 ISO:200



--
Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

Hi
2 , 4 and the last one you posted are very nice.
Birding is not an easy sport:> ))
300 F4 and tc are a great combo.

I used to have that.

Now shooting with the 70-300 vr or 80-400 vr..
Favorite settings are manual mode, F8 and 1000..On the best day

I very rarely use flash.

Moose Peterson used to say. If the light aint right don't shoot it..

So true, so true. But we do anyway...lol Then bin them..

Good job, have fun and post up some more birdies.
--
Nikon Gal
Best Regards
Gale

http://www.pbase.com/techwish

coincidentally I read the Moose's book Captured one day after returning from this place and this was one of the sentences of the book that marked me.
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Roberto Peradotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpic

I would think these distances in flight, a flash is ineffective and can reduce the shutter/fps speed

I'll got out on a limb here; at SS 500+ you don't need VR; at SS 1000+ you don't need tripod

if I'm wrong let me know
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Rags

Roberto my vote gets this one. But would crop some sky out to bring the landscape into the focus. Maybe I came it a bit too low but to see what I mean. Original



lower sky



And the potential beauty of the first one (the surroundings) is nice but the bird can’t be looking into the camera here and the framing should be different imo. I follow my subject in the frame. It can’t be hitting its imaginary borders if you know what I mean, that are there to frame the story (short of better term). I felt your walk from it the first time I looked.

Thanks for posting, enjoyed.

Hynek

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http://www.sunwaysite.com