A few randoms

[mole2k]

Well This is a few shots of ducks and birds i've taken over the past few weeks with the exception of #5 which was at christmas.

All comments and critisims will be gratfully recieved as im very new to photographing animals and would quite like to do more off it. Im looking into getting a 400 f5.6L to give me a bit more reach, these have all been shot on a 70-200 f4L.

#1
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/860/MG_5622.jpg

#2
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/860/MG_5682.jpg

#3
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/860/MG_5681.jpg

#4
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/860/MG_5479.jpg

#5
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/860/MG_1825.jpg


I want to setup some form of a hide to shoot smaller garden birds but there is nowhere in my concrete garden that would work :(

[oldgit]

Very clear crisp well exposed images you have there. :thumbs:

[RickMezza]

Like the 3 of the ducks. Very clear, esp #2.

[Susane]

These are very good to me, a newbie too :) I especially like the 3rd one, he/she's certainly getting up a head of steam.

[mole2k]

Thanks for the comments folks :)

Im still trying to think of somewhere to setup a place to take bird shots in my garden. Since I only have the 70-200 I need to be quite close and the 20D doesnt have the quietest of shutters...

[CT]

Thanks for the comments folks :)

Im still trying to think of somewhere to setup a place to take bird shots in my garden. Since I only have the 70-200 I need to be quite close and the 20D doesnt have the quietest of shutters...

It's surprising what you can get away with if you sit very still - it's very sudden movements which seem to spook the birds. The shutter noise is a problem but they gradually seem to get used to it.

Nice pics by the way - Mallard, Ferral Pigeon and Jackdaw.

[mole2k]

Thanks CT :)

What would you suggest for distances from a hide to the subject with a 200mm lens on a 20D?

Also what about backgrounds, being in a fairly urban area I dont have anything natural for a background is there anyway you could reliably 'fake' the background ?

Sorry for all the questions :P

[CT]

With the 180 macro I find abut 5 feet gives me the best distance and reasonable size in the frame, so with a 200mm you could go a bit further than that, and a little more still if you don't mind cropping more.

Backgrounds - you could try to get some cammo sheet and hang it up far enough behind your subjects that it will be oof anyway and look completely natural. A Google search will throw up plenty of different types and outlets

Another option is to get some largish potted shrubs which you could move around behind your subjects as required to give a natural looking background. If you sprinkle bird seed over and around the pots you could well capture birds landing on them if they're a reasonable size.

There's lots of things you can do to mock up a 'stage' - bits of old wood, stones, anything which looks natural on some sort of raised plinth. The main thing is once you start feeding keep it up, and you will get the birds coming. :)

[Nova]

Love your images mole2k, very sharp. I've always been fond of wildlife subjects and have recently moved to the edge of a wetland bird reserve so would love some tips.