DenisT Platinum
DenisT
Painted Bunting_LaFitte's Cove_Galveston Island TX_DET8020

Painted Bunting_LaFitte's Cove_Galveston Island TX_DET8020



cameraNIKON D700

settings Aperture f/8 ISO 1600 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 6000/10 

upload_dateApr, 2019

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425

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3 Comments | Report
jettahlily008 Platinum
 
jettahlily008 July 27, 2019
What a beautiful bird!!! So colorful!!! :)
keepclicking
 
keepclicking August 03, 2019
Superb photograph and stunning bird.
eelcovanroden PRO+
 
eelcovanroden June 24, 2020
Congratulations on your Challenge Award!

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Tags

#bird #animal #jay #finch

Behind The Lens

Location
This photo was made at the LaFitte's Cove bird sanctuary on Galveston Island in Texas.
Time
The photo was made in early afternoon in the spring of the year.
Lighting
Normally in the middle of the day the light is too bright and harsh. On this particular day there was some cloud cover so the light was diffused and the bird was in a thickly wooded area so the light was toned down a bit.
Equipment
I used a Nikon D700 fitted with a 150-600mm Sigma zoom lens. The lens was set to 400mm and the ISO was set to 1600 so I was able to use a 1/400sec shutter speed. The camera has a vibration reduction feature so adding all of these factors up, I was able to hand-hold and get a sharp image.
Inspiration
I have been making photographs since I was 14 years old and I am now 67 years old but I just got really interested in bird photography about 5 years ago. I had seen this specie of bird at an RV park south of Ft Worth, Texas about 12 years before this. I had chased and watched and photographed may birds since then but the Painted Bunting always eluded me. My friend and I had stopped to visit with an older couple on the trails at the LaFitte' Cove park and they said there was a Painted Bunting just around the next bend in the trail. I walked on and sure enough there he was.
Editing
I always shoot in RAW and JPEG and then process the RAW Image. I always adjust the highlights and the shadows and crop to get the best composition.
In my camera bag
I always have a Nikon D700 with a 150-600mm Sigma lens for birds and wildlife. I also have a Nikon Df with a 24-120mm Nikkor lens for landscapes and I have Sigma 70mm macro lens for super close-ups. I also carry a device called The POD. It is a sort of bean bag with a screw that mounts it to the bottom of my cameras. I use that instead of a tripod. It converts fence posts and rocks and truck hoods to a tripod.
Feedback
Bird photography takes lots of patience and a long lens. I shot for years with a 400mm lens and then about a year or so ago I moved up to the 600mm and have been thoroughly happy with the Sigma/Nikon combination. The goal is always to get the eye of the bird sharp with a catch-light if possible and I am able to do that fairly reliably now. I also use the spot mode to measure the light and focus with. It takes a bit of practice. You really should take the camera out and shoot some each day so you keep your edge.

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