Great tit waiting to seize his moment at the feeders
I don't work on Fridays and am beginning to claim back my ability to choose how it is spent. In essence, this meant that today, I had long enough to stand with my camera at the ready for more than a minute, waiting for the birds to return to the feeders in the garden having been disturbed by me opening the back door. The blue tits and great tits never stay still for more than a second. This shot was rather spoiled by the evidence of it being a popular spot in waiting turns and surveying the risks associated with making that dive at the feeders. So I took the liberty of washing away some of the muck, so to speak.
I wish everyone who happens upon these words a truly happy weekend.
I'm learning that getting decent shots of birds involves a lot of waiting . . . and waiting. I really like the composition of this shot and the location of the bird. I haven't tried getting shots of them in the trees. That makes for a much nicer nature shot than at the feeders. Wonderful shot, Helen! I hope you are enjoying your Friday off work! :-)
There is lots of good in this photo, but it lets itself down because it is too soft. This could be poor focusing, the wrong point of focus (POF) or just slight camera shake. The good points are that you have kept space for this Great Tit to fly into! You also have caught the catch light in the eye, and many very competent photographers sometimes miss that! Don't be put off, we are all on a journey! Just some are further on than you! We are all learning! You mentioned that it is only a point and shoot camera and that you haven't yet invested in a DSLR. If your camera has the opportunity to have creative modes, beyond the basic mode, and if you can shoot in RAW rather than just jPegs you can learn to take your photography further. If you are in the UK you can learn loads from Camera Clubs (or photographic clubs) & a great way to make friends! Hope you don't mind the critique?
I too have waited ages for bird shots, so I know how patient you must have been. Having only a day free (like myself) it's so difficult to prioritise, photos always win though. I really love this, all birds are divine in my opinion. The colours are sublime. FAV!
@judithg thankyou. I am getting better at cloning but still plenty of room for improvement. I wouldn't know where to begin with the dust in my house though!
@gaylewood thank you. Our feeders don't look very pretty, so I try to get the shots of them around the feeder if I can. @rosiekind@tristansmum Thank you Rosie and Stephanie for your kind comments.
@daisyditch thank you - great colours on the Great tit - I agree! With my camera in my pocket, I'm afraid it takes me a lot longer to get from A to B but I rarely dedicate time specifically to photography. One day....
@marshwader I don't mind the critique at all. Part of why I am here on 365 and I appreciate the time you have taken to make suggestions on several of my photos. It seems that my camera does not shoot in RAW. I think I still have plenty to learn with jpegs. I look forward to the time when I think I have outgrown my camera's capabilities! I tried some of the creative modes today (with mixed results - but fun). Camera club is a great idea - our local one meets on the same day as my community choir, so I had to make a choice! I know the focussing isn't as crisp as it should be on this photo - I need to slow down and take more time and trouble. Many thanks again.
February 6th, 2016
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