Starling shouting

Dangermouse

Dangermouse

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I have been itching to use the Sigma 150-600 contemporary ever since I bought it a few weeks ago, either work or the weather got in the way.
I was home today and the weather was looking good so decided to try it for its first proper shoot, its a good lens and I am liking it a lot, still need to get used to it and its settings but, here is my first real shot where I think I got the settings near enough right for birds.
This Starling seemed to be shouting at another Starling feeding on the fat balls.

Critique is very welcome as it will make me better, and I can take it.

DSC_24840_zpsjnj72kjt.jpg
 
The Sigma 150-600 is a very useful lens and will give you some good results as you get used to it.
The photo of the Starling is over-exposed and as such has lost a lot of its colour and detail. I did an edit, mainly consisting of adjusting exposure, highlights, whites & black and did some sharpening ... not definitive but an idea of what you can do with careful processing. :)

View attachment 103002
 
Thanks Gramps, I had a good idea it was over exposed and tried to adjust without losing too much detail, I was looking at the tail so it didn't wash out, your edit looks very good by the way
 
Pete,all the luck with your new lens !!

Some thoughts for ya mate.......... it's a bird feeder set up right,get a nicer perch for a start maybe try and shoot in a direction with a better looking bkg . The horizontal lines in the bkg are really distracting Try to get the bird facing you mate not away,post your techs,I'm not advanced enough to help ya here mate,but you'll give the guy who is taking his time to try and help ya a better chance if he can see how you set the camera up. i'd guess you maybe shot this on center point as the dof is falling off tail and head end, wing seems sharpest,maybe move focus point to eye if poss so you can get the head as sharp as possible,if you can't get enough DOF to get beak to tail inside dof because it's going to push your shutter to low. sacrifice DOF for shutter get the head sharp and let the rest fall how it will. I might be wrong Pete on the FP, I'm learning too but that is what it looks like to me.

Pete I think you have got off to a great start with your new lens with a little effort and thought you'll be able to transform your little feeder set up into one that will produce some really attractive images for you . It's a fantastic way to get some practice in these feeder situations,you can make so many choices and the birds are repeat customers,so you can make mistakes evaluate. and try again . Even humble or ordinary type birds like spadgers and starlings hold great beauty our jobs as guys whom want to make images of them is to capture that beauty,so one may as well start in a set up situation with a perch and background that enhance the gorgeous colours and irridescence of you chosen subject above. I'll leave the more technical side to the more experienced guys mate But some thoughts to maybe help you along

I do hope this helps in some small way :)

take care

Stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Pete,all the luck with your new lens !!

Some thoughts for ya mate.......... it's a bird feeder set up right,get a nicer perch for a start maybe try and shoot in a direction with a better looking bkg . The horizontal lines in the bkg are really distracting Try to get the bird facing you mate not away,post your techs,I'm not advanced enough to help ya here mate,but you'll give the guy who is taking his time to try and help ya a better chance if he can see how you set the camera up. i'd guess you maybe shot this on center point as the dof is falling off tail and head end, wing seems sharpest,maybe move focus point to eye if poss so you can get the head as sharp as possible,if you can't get enough DOF to get beak to tail inside dof because it's going to push your shutter to low. sacrifice DOF for shutter get the head sharp and let the rest fall how it will. I might be wrong Pete on the FP, I'm learning too but that is what it looks like to me.

Pete I think you have got off to a great start with your new lens with a little effort and thought you'll be able to transform your little feeder set up into one that will produce some really attractive images for you . It's a fantastic way to get some practice in these feeder situations,you can make so many choices and the birds are repeat customers,so you can make mistakes evaluate. and try again . Even humble or ordinary type birds like spadgers and starlings hold great beauty our jobs as guys whom want to make images of them is to capture that beauty,so one may as well start in a set up situation with a perch and background that enhance the gorgeous colours and irridescence of you chosen subject above. I'll leave the more technical side to the more experienced guys mate But some thoughts to maybe help you along

I do hope this helps in some small way :)

take care

Stu
Click to expand...

That is some cracking advice Stu, and best advice I have had in yonks, I very rarely take an interest in what is happening in the garden unless the BBQ is lit, I was waiting for a thunderstorm with some lightning, so had to alter the settings fast, and obviously wrong.
Yours and Gramps honest opinions have made me stop and evaluate what I am actually doing, I don't know the best settings for birds, I am not bad at aircraft though haha, joking aside, I am grateful you took the time to write that out, its what makes me come back for more advice, thank you
 
Dangermouse1964 said:
That is some cracking advice Stu, and best advice I have had in yonks, I very rarely take an interest in what is happening in the garden unless the BBQ is lit, I was waiting for a thunderstorm with some lightning, so had to alter the settings fast, and obviously wrong.
Yours and Gramps honest opinions have made me stop and evaluate what I am actually doing, I don't know the best settings for birds, I am not bad at aircraft though haha, joking aside, I am grateful you took the time to write that out, its what makes me come back for more advice, thank you
Click to expand...

Pete cheers,tis hard mate as a beginner I get all this help, togs have helped me so much bro. It makes ya want to help the next guy..... pay a bit back.....I look a bit mate noted 9000 posts noted a big metal bird,I know where i'm at Pete, I'd imagine you've forgotten more about making pics than I know,buuut these different fields of photography hold different techniques. I'm still very unsure on my techs Pete I know I'm getting there progressing ,but I am sure as hell no master.roger or someone like him is way better placed to help. But the above is how I try to make something I like.

Pete there is a guy out there damned if I can grab his name,who is renowned as a bird tog,his speciality back yard stuff, good god he's awesome. He channels flight uses homemade bkgs it's astounding what he does and the images he gets. I adore the fact that an image like a starling is open to all of us Pete,if one has problems maybe even in a wheel chair he/she can have a crack at this or similar. With luck ,a following wind and maybe some deep thought that starling image can be beyond beautiful.

Pete my base steerage from others tech wise, I regard as being utterly incredible in this field, is this:with smaller birds bang that shutter up they are fast flightly even tame er ones . Push iso you'll have a better handle than me with your gear. Probably a better handle on techs anyway,but just as a base template one needs SS to freeze and get sharp.unless birdie is stock still these rarely are that. Then get that eye pin sharp,Then let your imagination run wild,mate have a dig on "reflection pools" again can be back yard stuff. What I want you to see is the images that can come from something to simple as a t4ry outside a conservatory,sure to a more full blown set up.
Pete we see an image and it can drives us forwards,maybe not to duplicate,but sparks of ideas fly to try and make something special ourselves.

I'm too humble to advise Pete,but bung a seed of an idea and try and give a bit back is cool . tis a bit of my time and togs have given me months of theirs, what can I say?

Cheers for the kindly reply

all the luck

stu
 
What camera are you using?
Do you have the exif data for the image?
My 150-600 is now my most used lens on my D7000, and I've even used it for sunsets, landscapes etc.
It takes a bit to get used to the lens. I find I get best results using a tripod or monopod and rarely shoot handheld unless the light is really good.
I tend to shoot at f8 most of the time, and because I use a gimbal and tripod I don't worry about the shutter speed dropping a bit.
I also find myself dialling in around -0.5 to -1 exposure compensation and this helps with not blowing highlights etc. Obviously this depends on the light, and what I'm shooting, but I reckon most of my shots now have -0.5.
I shoot pretty much everything bird related at 600mm and get decent sharp images.
Look for a nice branch, and tie it to your feeder, paying attention to the background etc. Birds will land on the branch before feeding at the feeder and you will get more natural looking shots.
Anyway, as a first attempt, it's not bad. :)
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
What camera are you using?
Do you have the exif data for the image?
My 150-600 is now my most used lens on my D7000, and I've even used it for sunsets, landscapes etc.
It takes a bit to get used to the lens. I find I get best results using a tripod or monopod and rarely shoot handheld unless the light is really good.
I tend to shoot at f8 most of the time, and because I use a gimbal and tripod I don't worry about the shutter speed dropping a bit.
I also find myself dialling in around -0.5 to -1 exposure compensation and this helps with not blowing highlights etc. Obviously this depends on the light, and what I'm shooting, but I reckon most of my shots now have -0.5.
I shoot pretty much everything bird related at 600mm and get decent sharp images.
Look for a nice branch, and tie it to your feeder, paying attention to the background etc. Birds will land on the branch before feeding at the feeder and you will get more natural looking shots.
Anyway, as a first attempt, it's not bad. :)
Click to expand...

Same as you Robert D7000 and exif should still be there
 
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