Pheasants. UGH!

[h.r.ford]

Ok so I woke up this morning and as I was coming down the stairs I noticed a number of young pheasants mingling about. Rather than shoot them with a gun (don't worry I don't hunt) I decided to grab my camera quick. I put on the Canon 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 USM and headed out the door. I took almost 200 pictures. Out of that I kept 2! Here they are. They are really rubbish and I just cannot figure out what I did wrong. Not one of them came out sharp. It was very disheartening. I was hoping you guys could take a look and tell me what the heck I did wrong!! Thanks in advance.

http://community.dcmag.co.uk/photos/hrfords_gallery/images/228502/425x283.aspx

http://community.dcmag.co.uk/photos/hrfords_gallery/images/228506/425x283.aspx

[CT]

You can only legally shoot them between the 1st September and 2nd February, so it's just as well you didn't grab your gun. :D

There's a few possible reasons why your shots have disappointed you. :)

Was your shutter speed fast enough freeze the movements of the pheasants if they were moving around? Remember that with your lens zoomed to 200mm you need a minimum shutter speed of 1/200th just to overcome your own camera shake, even if you're shooting a still subject.

Focusing errors is another possibilty. With wildlife shots (particularly when they're moving) I find it best to use continuous servo focusing. Also enable just the centre AF spot and make sure you get that centre AF spot on your main subject... in this case, the pheasant.

Hope that helps a little. Don't get disheartened. :)

[matty]

you can go back and get them today though

[RobertP]

Interesting picture host - could not copy your image to edit it easily :)

So I followed the url and the site will show me original size..... so I edited that

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/723/p_edit.jpg

Which to me shows up camera shake as the reason for disappointment. Focus does seem to be on the front bird.

Might help if you posted the exif info for the picture (just say if that is greek to you ;) )

[h.r.ford]

I know what exif is but I have no clue how to post it! I am sure camera shake was a big part of it. Normally I do not use the "big" lens and I find its weight very hard to keep still. I think a tripod would be to combersome to move around when working with wildlife but maybe a monopod?? I used to shoot real guns (targets only) with incredible acuracy so I thought my breathing skills would do me well with a camera but they seem to have failed me now!

I am still on baby modes on my camera as I can't seem to figure out to do anything but change the aperture. I used the sport setting thinking it would make the shutter speed fast enough but alas nothing! I was indeed focusing on the front bird as I wanted the rear bird to be a bit OOF.

Hrmpfh! There are tons of them around so I guess I will have to wait for the weather to clear and just keep trying.

By the way what you did to the pic is much better than me. What did you do? I usually just use lightroom (beta) but I do have elements but I've never figured out how to really use it.

Thanks again.
Renee

[RobertP]

You need to make the jump to the advanced modes if you want to progress - but you don't have to do it all at once. Try a few test shots when you have time in Av mode. You can always go back to the basic modes if you are not confident when you *must* get the shot.

Set the aperture wide (lowest f stop number) and see what speed shutter the camera wants to use. If it is slower than 1/200th with the lens at 200mm and looking at your pheasant then change the iso setting up to 400 or 800 until it is 1/200th or faster (1/500th might be a good idea). Then try your same shot.

Don't know your lens but lenses with a big range can sometimes be a bit soft at the maximum zoom so that may be adding to your problems. If you have fast shutter speeds showing you can try closing the lens down a bit (higher fstop number) to improve sharpness.

As to editing I used a very basic editing program (acdsee 3 my picture viewer) and did things that any editor could do. I adjusted the levels so that the black bits were blacker and then gave it a sharpen.

[WetSparks]

I used to shoot real guns

There the only ones to shoot with ;)

FYI I still shoot quite a bit, mainly clays these day's. A man in the ministry decided that I and several thousands of people like me weren't safe running around with a S&W 45 acp :'( I have found that the breathing skills one acquires as a shooter may help a little bit, but there's no substitute for a mono or tripod when using a long lens.

The other thing is to use a quick release head on the system. I use a monopod with one of these and its so easy to whip it out (if you'll pardon the phrase) and clip the camera onto the pod and shoot.

[PhotoArtie]

I used to be in the military so all of me wants to call it my weapon but that doesn't go over so well in civilian life... So I'm at a loss of what to call them. When in basic training if you called your M-16 a gun you did a heck of allot of push-ups! My arms still remember very well.

Renee

[CT]

When in basic training if you called your M-16 a gun you did a heck of allot of push-ups! My arms still remember very well.

Renee

LOL , But that's because it was a rifle. :D

[h.r.ford]

Woops! Just realised I posted under my husband and not me [Renee].

[CT]

Woops! Just realised I posted under my husband and not me [Renee].

LOL Wouldn't it be easier if you both registered? ;)

[h.r.ford]

We are both registered. He is photoartie and I'm h.r.ford. How he lives in North Yorkshire and I live in West Yorkshire is beyond me though!

Renee

[IanC_UK]

have heard of married people sleeping in different rooms in the house before but not different counties ! ;)

[dod]

How he lives in North Yorkshire and I live in West Yorkshire is beyond me though!

Renee

Ideal for a happy marriage :D

I don't think the one RobertP editted is too bad actually, pheasants aren't easy to photograph at the best of times and those young ones are pretty quick. Looks like subject movement rather than camera shake to me.

[chuckles]

I agree with Dod about the camera shake thingy. If it was 'shake' then every thing'll be blurred. In this instance most of the front bird is sharp, suggesting a pan. Just a guess. :shrug:

[Ally]

The most suicidal birds on the planet!

[h.r.ford]

The most suicidal birds on the planet!

No kidding! In Texas there are armadillos which are also suicidal. I think pheasants are twice as bad, especially the young ones. Right now the farm road is littered with them and baby rabbits. You'd think when they saw there sis or brother get squashed they'd figure it out. But no!