ALR5-54410
Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) with dark background
Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) with dark background
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Nov, 2020Views
429
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Awards
Zenith Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 22
Spring 21 Award
Winter Award 2020
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
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Behind The Lens
Location
I made this photo at my home in November. A bird feeder is about 20 feet from my deck and is very popular with the neighborhood birds. I sat in a chair on the deck with the tripod-mounted camera in front of me and waited for the birds to land on the perch. To create a natural-looking perch I set up a piece of old tree branch a couple of feet from the feeder and collected a number of branches to use so the same branch wasn't in all of the photos. A holder was fabricated to allow easy replacement of the branch. The perch background is 30-40 feet away to allow an out-of-focus background, even at f11 or f16. For several minutes in the afternoon, a shaft of sunlight spotlighted the top of the branch and bird. Focusing on the top of the perch I just waited for the bird to land and give a pleasing pose.Time
A shaft of sunlight illuminated the top of the perch and the bird for maybe 15 minutes in the afternoon. The background remained in shadow.Lighting
The sunlit top of the perch combined with a shadowed background gives some depth to the photograph. The position of the bird landing on the perch needed to complement the lighting such that shadows didn't ruin the composition.Equipment
I used a Canon R5 camera body, Canon Mount Adapter EF - EOS R, Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The camera was mounted on a MeFoto tripod with a Wimberley Sidekick gimble. I used a remote shutter release and a high frame rate camera setting.Inspiration
I wanted to create a natural-looking portrait of the birds visiting the feeder. The 560 mm lens focal length imaged the birds large enough in the frame to give a pleasing portrait. The sun angle and lighting in the afternoon worked well.Editing
The image was processed in Adobe Lightroom CC. I cropped it to create a pleasing composition. Exposure, white/black points, texture, and a slight vignetting were applied. Nothing fancy, just basic stuff.In my camera bag
I have used Canon equipment for years. Currently, the bag has Canon R5, Canon M6, and Canon M5 (IR converted) bodies. Canon EF lens includes a Rokinon 14mm, Canon 17-35mm, Canon 70-300, and a Canon 100-400. The Canon 24-105 is the only R-lens I have. I have several Canon M-mount lenses and a Canon EF - M lens adapter.Feedback
You will need the following to capture a similar image: cooperative birds, a natural-looking perch, and a location with good lighting. Your camera equipment needs to create an image with the subject large in the frame. The photographer needs to be patient and able to trip the shutter when the subject gives a nice pose. If you don't get a good image on one day, repeat the effort on the following days.
