Swamp Residents!

[Fly Fishing Rick]

I hope that posting multiple photos/subjects isn't frowned upon, I'm still pretty new to nature photography and would love any insight y'all are willing to share. These were all taken at a fairly secluded beaver swamp that sees very few if any people per year, so getting really close to subjects is challenging.

1. Great Blue Heron

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2. Red-winged Blackbird - Male

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3. Red-winged Blackbird - Male

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4. Beaver

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5. Beaver

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6. Common Snapping Turtle

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7. Common Snapping Turtle

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8. Spring Peeper

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[Piecat]

Love #7, my eye just goes to that green blade of grass in front!
Try to get rid of that and I’d frame that one.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Love #7, my eye just goes to that green blade of grass in front!
Try to get rid of that and I’d frame that one.

Thanks! I considered trying to remove it but I just can't see any good way with all the detail around it, it bothers me too lol

 

[BAL Land]

I’m strictly a bird photographer, so that’s what I’m gonna focus on here. I think the birds are all too small in the frame for a pleasing shot, but there isn’t enough habitat showing for a good habitat shot.

 

[Piecat]

I’d love #2, if it were facing forward. The bokeh and cat tail like plants are great.

 

[GedeonD500]

I really like the redwing blackbird photos and the snapping turtle.

 

[dupcak]

I like #7 - a nice eye level view, clean composition. I agree that removal of the blade of grass would be nice - it can be difficult with simple cloning, but with content-aware-fill or other such computer aided techniques it can be made to look realistic.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Took #7 into photoshop and removed the blade of grass, it took some time but I think it came out presentable.

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[dupcak]

Took #7 into photoshop and removed the blade of grass, it took some time but I think it came out presentable.

Nicely done - never would have guessed it was there in the first place.

 

[Woody Meristem]

Getting rid of the grass was worth the effort, now it's a dandy photo. Just you don't want to pet the cute turtle?

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Getting rid of the grass was worth the effort, now it's a dandy photo. Just you don't want to pet the cute turtle?

Lol thanks! I pet plenty of them every year when I stop to move them out of the road

 

[CoyoteCreationsNW]

Nice capture of the heron in flight. A softer background would have been nice but with that lens there isn't much you could do (except ask him to move further away from the trees) The black birds always seem to be yelling at me too. You might try to crop some off the right side to put the bird further from center and near the 1/3 point. Also might have been able to slow the shutter speed and reduce ISO to get a little more dynamic range. Nice image as is.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

Nice capture of the heron in flight. A softer background would have been nice but with that lens there isn't much you could do (except ask him to move further away from the trees) The black birds always seem to be yelling at me too. You might try to crop some off the right side to put the bird further from center and near the 1/3 point. Also might have been able to slow the shutter speed and reduce ISO to get a little more dynamic range. Nice image as is.

Thanks for the advice, been using the lens at fairly fast shutter speeds because I just bought it used and it seemed like I was getting a lot of soft photos out past 10 yards or so, still kinda feels that way. I assume it's user error and not the lens but I figured a faster shutter speed (within reason) would give the best results for someone inexperienced that was trying out a lens.

 

[CoyoteCreationsNW]

Thanks for the advice, been using the lens at fairly fast shutter speeds because I just bought it used and it seemed like I was getting a lot of soft photos out past 10 yards or so, still kinda feels that way. I assume it's user error and not the lens but I figured a faster shutter speed (within reason) would give the best results for someone inexperienced that was trying out a lens.

500 mm on a DX body can be pretty hard to hand hold for any length of time. When I get up to that focal length, I tend to use a monopod for support and stability, especially for the perched or slow moving subjects. Overall, you got a lot of good images.

 

[MrFotoFool]

These are all great - you are doing very well. Mid-day light on a sunny day is not the most pleasing, so the only improvement would be to shoot at sunrise or sunset (unless it's an overcast day).