New Lens

[G Wright]

I have only been shooting wildlife a couple months, since I started noticing all the birds on my daily walks. I just upgraded to a Sigma 150-600 (my first ever non-Nikon) and this is my first weekend out with it. Any tips or advice would be appreciated, since this is far out of my usual landscape/architectual interests. All shot with my D810, EXIF in file, processed in LR/PS.
Thanks in advance.

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[DRwyoming]

Any tips or advice would be appreciated, since this is far out of my usual landscape/architectual interests.

Both very nice images with great subjects.

You might experiment with alternative compositions that don't place your subjects so close to the center of the frame. For instance since both of your subjects are looking to the right of the frame you might position them further to the left, both to crop in a bit and to allow room for their implied sight lines.

Great stuff, keep it up.

-Dave

 

[G Wright]

Both very nice images with great subjects.

You might experiment with alternative compositions that don't place your subjects so close to the center of the frame. For instance since both of your subjects are looking to the right of the frame you might position them further to the left, both to crop in a bit and to allow room for their implied sight lines.

Great stuff, keep it up.

-Dave

Great point, I didn't even think about direction/cropping. I'm just so used to making the focal point of the room dead center...
I think I am going to enjoy this new endeavor. Thank you

 

[bleirer]

I like the curve of the large mossy branch. It might be cool to experiment with the cropping and rotation a bit to see if the branch can enter top left corner and exit bottom right. Not too much to make the bird seem unlevel, but you have a little room to rotate. The twigs don't add anything so I'd remove those. If Photoshop the patch tool in content aware mode works well.

 

[jeffnles1]

Nice photos and you're off to a very good start. I do like the photo of the red-bellied woodpecker the best of the 2 you posted. The reason is the bird is doing something interesting. As you progress in your wildlife photography journey you'll probably find your wildlife shots fall into 3 basic categories 1) Safety Shots, 2) ID shots, and 3) Favorites (sorry, I don't have a more creative name for this grouping).

For me those photos in this category (favorites) are showing the wildlife doing something interesting (eating, head cocked in an interesting way, doing something we think of as silly, hunting, whatever). Your first image showed something interesting. With the bird's mouth open and tongue sticking out, the viewer will linger a few seconds longer to determine just what is the bird doing? Is it eating, is it calling out to another bird, is this a territorial defense display or was it doing something else?

I like the image.

 

[G Wright]

I like the curve of the large mossy branch. It might be cool to experiment with the cropping and rotation a bit to see if the branch can enter top left corner and exit bottom right. Not too much to make the bird seem unlevel, but you have a little room to rotate. The twigs don't add anything so I'd remove those. If Photoshop the patch tool in content aware mode works well.

Here is the next image and I see what you mean. Balance is better and the twigs were a distraction. Still undecide about the little stump behind him, but I'll probably take it out in time.
Thanks for the help.

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[G Wright]

Nice photos and you're off to a very good start. I do like the photo of the red-bellied woodpecker the best of the 2 you posted. The reason is the bird is doing something interesting. As you progress in your wildlife photography journey you'll probably find your wildlife shots fall into 3 basic categories 1) Safety Shots, 2) ID shots, and 3) Favorites (sorry, I don't have a more creative name for this grouping).

For me those photos in this category (favorites) are showing the wildlife doing something interesting (eating, head cocked in an interesting way, doing something we think of as silly, hunting, whatever). Your first image showed something interesting. With the bird's mouth open and tongue sticking out, the viewer will linger a few seconds longer to determine just what is the bird doing? Is it eating, is it calling out to another bird, is this a territorial defense display or was it doing something else?

I like the image.

That one was truly the "safe" image of the bunch. Here are the next two in the series, I didn't use them because I am not totally happy with the lighting. They are better than they were, but I'll keep adjusting....
Thank you for your feedback.

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[jeffnles1]

That one was truly the "safe" image of the bunch. Here are the next two in the series, I didn't use them because I am not totally happy with the lighting. They are better than they were, but I'll keep adjusting....
Thank you for your feedback.


View attachment 40198


View attachment 40199

I really like the second shot where the night heron is munching on the crayfish. That's a really cool shot. For fun, try a vertical instead of a horizontal crop on this one. I always like wildlife photos where the creature is doing something interesting

 

[Turberticus]

Off to a good start! One piece of advice that I wish I had known when I started shooting birds is to get eye level with them. Unfortunately the woodpecker is fairly high on the branch with a blue sky background and unflattering light. Not the most pleasing or intimate image. Think of it this way. Does a good wedding or portrait photographer photograph people from the ground looking up, or from well above their heads? No. They're photographed at or very near eye level in good light. Also, the light in both photos is a little harsh and unflattering with bright highlights and dark shadows. You did capture some pretty cool behavior, but I feel those types of shots also need to be well composed, at eye level, and in good light (low sun or bright overcast) if you want to take your photos to the next level.

 

[G Wright]

Off to a good start! One piece of advice that I wish I had known when I started shooting birds is to get eye level with them. Unfortunately the woodpecker is fairly high on the branch with a blue sky background and unflattering light. Not the most pleasing or intimate image. Think of it this way. Does a good wedding or portrait photographer photograph people from the ground looking up, or from well above their heads? No. They're photographed at or very near eye level in good light. Also, the light in both photos is a little harsh and unflattering with bright highlights and dark shadows. You did capture some pretty cool behavior, but I feel those types of shots also need to be well composed, at eye level, and in good light (low sun or bright overcast) if you want to take your photos to the next level.

Great advice, Thank you! I definitely agree on the light, unfortunately since the day I got this lens, North Georgia hasn't seen a cloud in the sky. I guess I could sacrifice and set my alarm earlier.....

 

[Shutterbug fan 1]

Here is the next image and I see what you mean. Balance is better and the twigs were a distraction. Still undecide about the little stump behind him, but I'll probably take it out in time.
Thanks for the help.

View attachment 40196

I like the drama in this picture. I think a tight crop would really help bring that out.

 

[G Wright]

Thank You for the helpful discussion, I can feel a difference in the way I am framing and trying to use light better when shooting and paying much more attention to cropping in processing. For all that suggested it, here is a redone image of the Yellow Crown.
Again, Thank You!

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