Handsome Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak male in Mountain Ash tree (Swift Current, Sk - 2019 October 24)
Pine Grosbeak male in Mountain Ash tree (Swift Current, Sk - 2019 October 24)
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Feb, 2020Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
People's Choice in Small Birds! Photo Challenge
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Elite
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
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newmz
March 27, 2020
This finch photo is stunning...the technique, the composition and the editing. Great job. It is amazing how birds almost always find a way to get a branch between them and he camera. Love the shot
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Maadhatter
March 27, 2020
Thank you very much. The only edit I did was just a wee bit of a crop. (The yellow background is the neighbour's tree with nice gold leaves... With the lens I was using, the angle I was shooting at -- hanging out of my living room window, and the mid-afternoon light, everything worked out.)
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JPART7
April 24, 2021
Thank you for participating in my photo challenge for winning photos! SO hard to choose among so many great photos! This is hands down my favorite small bird photo...so pretty and lovely in color balance! Adding to my if we could pick more than one winner collection!
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this photo from an open window in my living room as the male Pine Grosbeak fed on berries in our Mountain Ash Tree (a few feet from the house.)Time
I took this photograph at 2:21PM CST (2019 October 24).Lighting
It was a mid autumn afternoon with a mix of sun and cloud. The weeping birch tree across the street was still in full gold-coloured foliage so the sun shining on the gold leaves helped provide a nice golden bokeh effect. I was shooting southeast, and at that time of day the sun was moving toward the south-southwest.Equipment
I was shooting with my trusty old Nikon D200 and a Sigma 150 - 600mm F5 - 6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens at 600mm Manual Exposure f/6.3 1/320 sec ISO 500 Manual White Balance set at "Cloudy" Exposure 0.33 eV step Spot Metering. I was hand-holding with the lens steadied against the inside of the window frame to help steady the lens..Inspiration
I am a birder so I enjoy watching Nature on the Wing and try to capture it whenever an opportunity presents itself. This was a male Pine Grosbeak. At this time of year, there are a few different migrant birds stopping in our tree to feed on the berries. This guy was not bothered in the least by my presence as it was more interested in eating its fill of berries. It was not concerned about my presence, but using the window as a blind and utilizing a long lens afforded me the opportunity to shoot several frames without disturbing the bird.. I have respect for wildlife, and I don't want to take a chance in disrupting the bird and any chance it may have to enjoy a meal.Editing
This photo was shot in JPEG format. The only post-processing I did was to crop the photo a bit using ACDSee Pro 6,In my camera bag
I have my Nikon D750, D200 and D5100 cameras in my bags along with my Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, a Tamron SP 24-70MM F/2.8 Di VC USD, a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm F/1.8G Lens, a Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Lens, Nikon f/2.8 105mm Micro f/2.8 lens, and a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens. I also always have my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cellular phone with me (I like to use it when I want or need a wider angle photo.) If I am going to go for a drive to spend some time out and about shooting, I like to take all my cameras and lenses... you just never know what you're going to need. If I am going out to shoot something specific, I take my Nikon D750 along with the 70-200mm lens, 24-70mm lens, 50mm lens, and depending what my shooting goal is, sometimes the 105mm lens.Feedback
My advice for others is to shoot as often as you can. If you are at home, keep your camera easily accessible (and keep the batteries charged up.) You never know when an opportunity to shoot will arise. If you are shooting wildlife of any kind, before you lift the camera to shoot, ensure you are giving the animal the respect it deserves. Keep your distance and use a long lens, and do not stay longer than a few minutes. Learn the habits of the animals you are shooting.... that way you can anticipate their moves to get a better shot and to recognize the animal's reaction to your presence. Take advantage of the lighting - when it is sunny or when it is cloudy or if rain or any other weather system is moving in, and play with your f stops. Take more than one photo... you can always delete it if it doesn't turn out. Try different camera settings as well. Most of all, have fun!!
