Photo
Nov, 2014Views
559
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Fall Award 2020
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
It just so happened I am a self-taught photographer , only been taking photos of ANY kind just over 2yrs. I reached out to a few pros and was told to read and study everything on the 3 main of taking pictures with a DSLR, which was ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, so I dove into them all and wrote down notes to return to if needed, and of course I wrote everything else down that would help. I take every picture out my bedroom window and some other windows in the house due to being disabled a left leg amputee. As long as you keep the window clean it can be done. Which I will share the secrets later in the last section!!!!Time
Well when you have to take all your pictures all from the window inside your house, which 99% are from my bedroom, you have to be aware of where the sun rises and sets, and I like taking tin full in the middle of the day of course. Yet I also enjoy taking them in the wonderful glow of the sunlight that rises int he front right towards my bedroom. I also like the early beginning of the shade,you seem to get different hues. And being self-taught its a challenge to get my lighting just right, that's why I love the DSLR'S delete button...LOL.Lighting
One example of the morning glow that I enjoyed was catching a mom feeding a baby Song Sparrow how the g enlightened the mouths or beaks as the baby opened its moth and the mom's mouth and they glowed from the glowing yellow sunlight. Also when taking a picture of the Red bellied Woodpecker you can catch the beautiful glow of both male and female's eyes that almost perfectly matches their shiny heads especially the males. I also take action shots of birds taking a bath in my bird bath and the sun really makes them shine as well as the water droplets glisten in the sunlight, and in the sha you seem to get shades of blue added to just about any color but red.Equipment
Nikon D5100 Lens Nikon DX AF-S 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G No tripod, no flashInspiration
I have my bird feeding are set-up, which I will explain in the last question, and this female Cardinal landed right in front of me less than 5ft. in front of me, and they usually don't stay around long when they are that close and see me at the window, so I knew I had very little time. As soon as she landed I was, just so happened sitting right there with my camera ready, and she landed looking straight forward when she landed so...snap..snap, I got her she seen me and was gone. And with my zoom lens, small as it is one crop and this is what came out.oneEditing
No, I shoot on Manual so I had my settings set for the light and a fast speed for birds all the time, and aperture was set to the right setting cause the distance and width of my area doesn't change. I have no clue how to do photoshop and the only processing I done inside my camera is clicked crop one time. And with me shooting in Manual mode I had the light already set, so she showed up perfectly with the background her color did not need adjusting so I thought she looked fine and left her alone.In my camera bag
I don't get to go anywhere at all unless it's in a car I have a quick pick-up bag I can put my new upgraded Nikon D5300 camera body, and since most things will be far away since I can not get out and walk, I carry my lighter 55-200mmm lens and my new 70-300mm lens, which I use the most due to the fact most things are so far away and its a terrific lens. And I always carry lens cleaners in case I touch my glass lens. And my variety pack of lens filters in case I see something interesting to play around with. lolFeedback
I capture 99% birds and what I've been waiting to explain is that bird pictures just don't look natural on a feeder. So since I can not hike I had a friend of mine set-up me a woodsy-looking area right outside my bedroom window, close enough to get great close-ups yet some of it far enough away to look like I am in the woods. I have some sticks standing up, a few logs and stumps with holes in them to so I can pack suet in the holes. I have a log, a fes small sticks, and some rocks laying on the ground. It looks like a small spot of the woods right outside my bedroom window. I also scatter seeds on the ground for my ground feeding birds, yet if I run out of suet my woodpeckers will happily get on the ground and get them some seeds. Of course I have some squirrels visit from time to time. But to me being able to sit right here in my house and learn patience the easy way, because you must have it, especially shooting wildlife, ie awesome, even though I am disabled. And with them not knowing you're there a lot of the migrating birds stop here and I have been lucky enough to get some shots of birds I've never seen, and with your normal birds that are a bit scary cause they do know you're there that's where your patience comes in. I hope this helps some of you birders out there especially the disabled ones like me Best of luck and go buy a camera, it has changed my life for the better and it's been worth every minute of it!!!!!
