Show Your Snaps...July 20, 2020

I also captured this the same night.





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Stricnine

Benji your jay shots are incredible nice detail. Stricnine that windmill is just gorgeous.

Well it had to happen sooner or later the blue sky was gone and the gray was back, but at least it was only 88f.

These shots are sharp and clean enough. Sometimes a cloudy day is good for photography as long as it’s not pouring.

Those look great with the gray sky. I see you bumped up the exposure compensation. That's the way to go and they will turn out terrific.

I like seeing the windmill. I think you told us you live in northern Texas. When I visited the area over twenty years ago, I remember it being quite warm at night.

It may not look like it but because pretty much everything I shoot is above ISO 2000, each photo has to be processed for about 20-30 minutes. One of them took me more than an hour because grass was all over the bird (I decided to cut the grass just after...).


Waiting for its turn.


Blackbirds finally found the spot!


I think female blackbirds have less blue on their forehead.


On painted rocks painted by my granddad in 1964 (removed them out of the front lawn because they were always in the way of the tractor lawnmower).

We seem to be heading out of summer slowly. Hopefully I’ll have plenty of birds around in August. I never fed them here year round so I may be a bit in for a surprise. Then the fall colours will start, again. Time flies.

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Regards,
There is always something to shoot/snap, you just have to know how to do it and have the right gear.
Benji

Digirame said:

Those look great with the gray sky. I see you bumped up the exposure compensation. That's the way to go and they will turn out terrific.

Click to expand...

What I do myself is bracketing by 1/3. Works well too. I even programmed it into a custom button (C1, C2 and C3). You guys should try that.

those were dark rain bearing clouds no sensor dust as far as i know. I live in India which is tropical climate and there are many coconut trees. I have been posting on these forums for over a decade now on a off when i started with a humble kodak CX7430 point and shoot nd a nikon P50 for many years will i bought the canon rebel series 1100D and then a canon 1300D much later a very good value and nice quality and the limitation is the photographer not the camera many times i feel.

Regards,

Laksh

My flickr stream mainly lot of train shots

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lakshmant/

Welcome to our group. We look forward to seeing many more pictures from India. Occasionally I will get a sensor dust spot when I see it on the clouds or blue sky. I copy & paste it away. Fortunately, our dust sensor protection removes it (for those that have it on their cameras). I used to have a Kodak Z740 and other ones too.

You are quite the bird photographer now. When I was using my Canon T2i/T3i (550D/600D) cameras I didn't like using above ISO1600. Now I can easily use ISO6400 with the Canon T7i (800D) cameras. It's too bad they are considered "entry level" by many (when I read about them on the internet); they are actually quite advanced and capable.

It would bother me, if it drowned out steel drum music.

Maybe I forgot. I experienced it in Trinidad and a 12 piece steel drum band in the US.

Digirame said:

You are quite the bird photographer now. When I was using my Canon T2i/T3i (550D/600D) cameras I didn't like using above ISO1600. Now I can easily use ISO6400 with the Canon T7i (800D) cameras. It's too bad they are considered "entry level" by many (when I read about them on the internet); they are actually quite advanced and capable.

Click to expand...

The t7i is as capable as a pro camera but it is not geared for that in the way of customization. I looked at the specs and functions in the past few weeks because I was considering buying it. For birding or fast action shots, the difference between a missed shot and a brilliant one is how fast you can set your values. The t7i I think lacks these custom buttons and functions. Also, the dial has a lot of creative modes that I would never use because I know my stuff by heart.

If I had to choose, the 90D would be my choice and even then, some say that it lacks some of the advanced functions of the 7D mark II.

Then I looked at the mirror less M models and I dismissed them because they seem too to lack advanced functions and the external EVF adapter really seems to be in the way (this camera is geared at shooting from the screen and for birds, I am not sure this is a good thing. The mirrorless R series is way more attractive but it is full frame which would reduce my reach for birds.

This is why I am sitting on my 7D mark I and waiting to see what Canon will offer next.

Finally I know myself: once I‘ll get bored taking all the same birds photos, I’ll stop (been there, done that)... And since I am not travelling away anytime soon I am afraid I would spend money for nothing (and your chicks for free...)!!! (Dire Straits and Sting!)

Topaz Labs is really helping me giving a second life to my 7D. I may very well be the computational photography camera I was hoping for!

Edit: I see the M6 has some customization functions but it is still lacking a integrated viewfinder.

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Regards,
There is always something to shoot/snap, you just have to know how to do it and have the right gear.
Benji

I think the closest thing for you would be the Canon 90D. I thought about getting one, but I'm happy with three Canon T7i (800D) cameras. I like that they are all the same, so I know where everything is quickly. But, yeah...Canon 90D...would be sweet.

You have a point. If you decide to not take any pictures because of COVID-19 or other reasons, then your upgraded camera could just collect dust without being used.

Dang Benji going to send my pics to you for processing lol. I dont do much post other then a little touch up in lightroom. I do shoot raw but never really learned post software just enough to be dangerous I guess. I probably spend 10 minutes per picture. If I plan on printing then maybe a bit more

Rocket13 said:

Dang Benji going to send my pics to you for processing lol. I dont do much post other then a little touch up in lightroom. I do shoot raw but never really learned post software just enough to be dangerous I guess. I probably spend 10 minutes per picture. If I plan on printing then maybe a bit more

Click to expand...

Well, just post that full res BIF one that I told you about last week and I’ll be happy to take a shot at it! Basically, I need motion blur or not quite sharp enough pictures to do my teeth on!

For Digi. I know myself: once I have mastered something I want to move on to something else. I already have more blue jays photos that I need so how many more will I take? I still need a BIF picture of a blue jay. All my life I’ve been a “sponge” in terms of learning as one of my old bosses would describe me. For sure that if I could I would take some trip elsewhere to find different birds or some ruins or some African beast but this is not going to happen for some time given my family situation (not even mentioning this pandemic). So as much as a 5D with a 600 mm lens would be cool, once I’ve been around my lot, where else can I go? I live in the woods, remember.

I am currently installing a major Sharpen AI update. Can’t wait to test it!!! I am waiting for Rocket to send me a pic!

In my opinion, when shooting birds, simplicity with the camera is important. Shooting static birds is easy with any camera, finding them is the hardest part for me. The more settings you are changing, the more shots you will miss. I use center point AF with Auto ISO. This also applies to sports. Less expensive gear is fine, if you know its limitations and you use good shooting methods.

Processing is a different story.

Pairing the right lens with the camera is important. If the lens can not acquire focus fast enough at high shutter speeds, then you will have to drop down you shutter speed to get more keepers. You may be underutilizing your camera.

The way I shoot most things, if I buy mirrorless, the Canon R would be the ideal camera for me.


Tern




The Fall

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) with 151 8 second, and 111 15 second images combined together.



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Stricnine

Three boats