With a little bit of effort

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Richard
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Hi All
There have been a few debates around over paying for workshops and hides that other people have set up and people paying anything from £3 to £200 to photograph birds and mamals for a day. I have been on a few over the years recent ones being the Aviemore Ospreys and The White tailed Sea Eagles in Poland I enjoyed them but came back with many similar pictures to Greg, Mark and Chas and a few others the trouble is where do you draw the line if you want a specific image then go for it but remember it is going to be very similar to many others taken there. If you want different you just have to put in a bit of effort in even the humble Blue Tit and Great Tit can make an half Decent image if you apply yourself. I think you will see a lot of these more expensive options start to die out as people become board with seeing the same type of images unless the site keeps evolving to offer even greater opportunities. A few from a little project I am working on. Nothing special just a few common to garden species.













Regards
Richard
 
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Interesting post Richard - I'm surprised you haven't had any other responses so far.
It is nice to see these garden birds in flight but, for my taste, the images are quite closely cropped. However, the two GT shots are sharp and well exposed and work very well.
As a matter of interest, are you willing to give us details of your project?

Russ
 
Hi Russ
Thanks very much. As I said in the starting post I have been on a few workshops and was getting tired with the same old same old so I thought I would set myself a bit of a challenge and try to photograph every bird that comes to my feeders in flight. I should just add that the hide is at my workshop and from 4pm on the light is beautiful as it lights the perches and set ups. I started a wildlife group at my local camera club and a few of the members come down the hide is about 18-20 feet from the feeders room for 2 people. We make up a lot of props and put around the feeders for getting the different looking shots.

My favourite kit for the project is Canon 5d MK3 and 1d MK4 and the canon 300mm f2.8 i.s with 1.4 extender
The shutter speed is kept at mostly 1/3200 and above with the sparrows 1/2500 suffices at a push
Aperture is F5 to F10 on a good day Iso again varies depending again on how good the light is.

A couple more




Birds at the moment

Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long Tailed Tit
Green Finch
Gold Finch
Bull Finch
Robin
Dunnock
Blackbird
Jay
sparrow Hawk (occasional)
House Sparrow
3 Nut Hatches on feeders today at the same time
Chaffinches
Black Cap (female occasional visitor)
Wren
Coal Tit
Willow Warbler
Garden Warbler
Greater Spotted woodpecker
Green Woodpecker (Occasional visitor)
Tree creeper (Occasional visitor)
Crow
Magpie
Jackdaw

In our field
Buzzard
Little Owl
Kestrel
Pheasant
Thrush
White Throat

As winter bites the occasionals will visit more regularly I still have quite a few to wade through. If you are ever out my way and you fancy a few hours in the hide pm me I am in Worcestershire
Regards
Richard
 
Hi Richard
That looks like a fantastic project, and so different too! It's also great that you are involving other photographers who perhaps have never considered bird photography before.
Shame you are so far away otherwise I would take up your offer to visit.
Good luck, and I look forward to more of your flight shots :)

Russ
 
Hi Richard, I agree with you completely, I think it's ok to go to these "pay and get your shot" places if you can afford it, or if it is the only way you can get the shot of a particular bird. As good as some of these places are, we are constantly seeing very similar images even in national competitions, where the photographer had little to do other and press the shutter. Regards Ron.
 
I personally prefer to go get my own shots more of a challenge and satisfaction and often walk long distances here in the Lakes with a heavy rucky to get them.
But having said that its very difficult to get a photo of say an Osprey without paying? and without nature reserves it would be hard to target certain birds for most of us......
An excellent and interesting set and that is one hell of a list of species you have there at your hide Richard; (y)
 
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