Bedraggled Blue Tit

[D.S.]

Managed to snap this chap again after major rain this morning, he is looking more scruffy than normal.

Big improvement on the last ones I think?

1.

2.

3.

4.

C&C Welcome

 

[u8myufo]

There are a lot of soggy birds out there at the moment
#1 and #3 look the better of the bunch as they dont have so much blown highlights, but that said they are hard to get looking right when you got the sun shining on them. Good effort

 

[D.S.]

Thanks matey... I think the position of the feeder, and the direction of my gardens not helping. I desperately try to get nice natural things in the background instead of a wall, or fence, or the neighbours washing but that limits me to two arcs of fire as it were.

Think I am going to cut a hole in the side of my shed to use as a hide in future.

 

[SuperAP]

Lovely shots - the background works beautifully, especially on 1 and 4. It is hard trying to keep those highlights in check! Try taking the exposure down a stop or two, sometimes works for me.

 

[D.S.]

Thanks very much matey, yeah it’s a real struggle. I actually metered on the fence, in the shade to try to tone it down. When I metered on the feeder or anything bright near by it went off the scale. Where i'm only using a 300mm these tiny little birds will never anywhere near fill the view finder. What’s the best metering setting? Camera is a D60...

Thanks again!

 

[toonamp]

Yes not bad, there's some good detail in there

I had a similar situation re positioning etc, and I did exactly what you suggested, cut a hole in the shed and used it successfully as a hide.

I also placed a number of branches and perches near the feeders for them to "pose" on.

 

[D.S.]

Yep, the sheds gonna get the good news at the weekend me thinks.

 

[MarkEvan]

Nice and sharp, try putting some perches up in the vacinity of the feeders and then snapping the birds on the perches....it`ll give a more natural setting than the feeder.

 

[D.S.]

Thanks very much, I did try setting one up near by, sat for an hour with my lens trained on it but the little buggers landed everywhere except on the perch, of couse until I nipped inside to use the loo, look out the window and guess where he was sat?

More paitence required.

 

[Martyn...]

Thanks very much matey, yeah it’s a real struggle. I actually metered on the fence, in the shade to try to tone it down. When I metered on the feeder or anything bright near by it went off the scale. Where i'm only using a 300mm these tiny little birds will never anywhere near fill the view finder. What’s the best metering setting? Camera is a D60...

Thanks again!

Spot meter, White Balance 'Sunny', Auto ISO, and they are still tiny even at 500mm, unless you can get really close to them.

Try and have the Sun behind you, the Blue Tit is back lit in all those which puts the main part that you can see in shadow.

You can always make a cheap screen from some camo net off e-bay, strung between two poles, set up behind it keep still and wait, the birds will soon return.

 

[D.S.]

Spot meter, White Balance 'Sunny', Auto ISO, and they are still tiny even at 500mm, unless you can get really close to them.

Try and have the Sun behind you, the Blue Tit is back lit in all those which puts the main part that you can see in shadow.

You can always make a cheap screen from some camo net off e-bay, strung between two poles, set up behind it keep still and wait, the birds will soon return.

Fantastic, thanks very much!