~Avian Photography~ Post your bird pix for 2012!

[recurve]

Here's a few more from my archive Cooper's Hawk

eating a junco

maybe I should have put this one in Where's Waldo

[havalotta]

You should save that middle one for the P.O.M. contest.
They don't need to be taken in the same YEAR as the contest is held, just make sure photos are taken within the same MONTH that it's running. Last February's photos being good in this February's and so on....
That is a really niiiiiiice one!

[linrose]

Nice bird! Are you into raptors? I want to see the bald eagles at Land Between the Lakes next weekend. You can go out on a boat into the lake to view and photograph them.

We visited Barren River Lake State Park today to check out the Sandhill Cranes, our timing was off, we needed to be there at either sunrise or sunset to see them either leave their roosts on the mud flats at dawn or return in the evening. We did drive around looking for them foraging in the corn fields but found none. The nice woman at the lodge didn't really know much of anything about them except she said they see them on the side of the road and everywhere at this time of year, ho hum. We're going to try going back to catch them in early morning, we only live a half hour from the park. I'm pretty sure I'd need a DSLR with a telephoto lens and a tripod to capture them skillfully but I'll try my best to get something with my camera. At least I have a tripod and we scoped out some places to set up for a good shot.

[recurve]

Thanks linrose I'm not into raptors more than anything else I just seem to have an abundance of them around here. I've been trying to catch up with some sandhills myself you might find this link interesting Sandhill Crane Migration Study

Hope you get to see some eagles next weekend

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by recurve

I've been inspired to dig into my old photos and transfer them to my new computer heres a few enjoy.

Great additions, recurve!

Waxwings (?), turkeys, and a bluebird--oh my!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by linrose

It gets a bit chilly standing out there waiting for the birds to settle down and pose for their close-up but we sacrifice for our art don't we???

Nice photos, linrose. Yes, we must think the sacrifices are worth it, or we wouldn't do it.

Originally Posted by recurve

Here's a few more from my archive Cooper's Hawk

I think the FIRST one is an amazing posture and well framed by the branches--if you can tweak the contrast and brightness a little, I bet you could have a very worthy shot. (Not sure the exact rules of the P.O.M. contest...but I think some minor adjustments are permitted...someone double check me on that.)

[recurve]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

I think the FIRST one is an amazing posture and well framed by the branches--if you can tweak the contrast and brightness a little, I bet you could have a very worthy shot. (Not sure the exact rules of the P.O.M. contest...but I think some minor adjustments are permitted...someone double check me on that.)

I don't know how to do any of that I'm just glad you can tell what I'm taking a picture of there are so many modes and settings and dohickys on my camera I don't know what half of them do. I'm just glad I can catch a few cool moments when i have the opportunity. My wife doesn't know how I get such great pics of birds when we try to take pics of the kids they come out all blurry and we have to take about thirty pictures of the same shot.

[Sage]

Originally Posted by dapjwy;

I think the FIRST one is an amazing posture and well framed by the branches--if you can tweak the contrast and brightness a little, I bet you could have a very worthy shot. (Not sure the exact rules of the P.O.M. contest...but I think some minor adjustments are permitted...someone double check me on that.)

Yes, tweaking to improve your pic is fine if I'm judging a contest.

[havalotta]

Recurve
I don't know what programs you have but I use what's called Paint, a free and very basic editing program..... You might like to install it and give it a try. It's real EASY! Sage uses one called Piccasa which seems more advanced just looking at what she's capable of doing with her photos.
I'm about ready to advance into that one to give it a try.

This is how to adjust them....Using PAINT.
If you're pulling a photo from W.G.
Shrink W.G.'s page to half size
Click onto the photo to enlarge it
Drag it onto the desktop
(You needn't do any of the above if you already have a photo saved in a folder in your computer, just go direct)
Click onto the photo to enlarge it
hit the fix button on the top of the screen
then the adjust your exposure to the right of the screen
slide the brightness button a bit to the left
the contrast button some to the right
then the close button at the top of the screen and it's *saved automatically* as tweaked!

If you want to keep the original as well, just make a copy of it
Right click upon the photo then left click copy
another right click upon the screen then left click paste should produce the double....
and then tweak that one!

Anytime you are in doubt or want to learn something....Ask the gang.
They were MORE than helpful teaching me. I knew nothing about computers nor the new digital camera, any of its options, saving, tweaking, putting images onto the site....yada yada yada

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by recurve

I don't know how to do any of that I'm just glad you can tell what I'm taking a picture of there are so many modes and settings and dohickys on my camera I don't know what half of them do.

Some programs that allow you to view the photos have ways to edit them. Maybe someone will put up a tutorial for you.

Originally Posted by recurve

My wife doesn't know how I get such great pics of birds when we try to take pics of the kids they come out all blurry and we have to take about thirty pictures of the same shot.

LOL! Funny. At least with your kids, hopefully you have some cooperation--not so much with wildlife!

Originally Posted by Sage

Yes, tweaking to improve your pic is fine if I'm judging a contest.

Thanks for the clarification, Sage.