# Misc Birds



## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Going thru some of my files this week.


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## griz (Jan 9, 2006)

*Nice*

Nice ones. Question for you. What metering mode do you use on birds? Seems all my shots are too dark. I've tried spot and center weighted. Do you intentionally blow out the sky to get the bird bright enough then fix it later? Do you use high exposure speed in case they move or slow and hope for the best? Much harder to shoot wildlife than the r/c cars. Found out real quick that I don't know my camera nearly as well as I thought. Going to have to speed up setting up the camera for sure. With the cars you seldom change metering fnumber or anything else really. Once you are set up you don't change much unless clouds roll in. Now I'm having to change up stuff every time and quickly before they fly off. Its a challenge but I love challenges.

Griz


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

It really depends on several factors. Available light and sun position, cloudy or early morn/evening and midday.
I have set the custom camera user (C1,C2,C3) help in faster camera adjustment.
CI is set to AV mode, spot metering and center focus (low light, bright back lit stuff mainly). C2 is set to AV mode, eval metering/center point focus, and C3 is manual mode, I adjust the ISO to start with shutter setting of no less than 1/1200 (for the white birds) Center focus with eval metering. I use the shutter to adjust the exposure for the color, going no higher than 1/2500 for the darker birds.
Now with that said, here is the secret to this all, use back button focusing, and leave the exposure lock on the shutter button.
Heres how it works. As you track a bird in AI servo, use the back button to maintain focus, and when you like the frame/shot you depress the shutter button to trip the shutter, at that instant you are also locking your exposure.
This is as compared to the focus, exposure and shutter trip on the shutter button.
With all 3 functions on the shutter button, everytime to focus you lock your exposure and as you know lighting can change pretty fast as these are moving target.
So using back button focusing you dont lock your exposure until the second you depress the button to trip the shutter. I also use exp comp a lot. I take 1 shot and see where its at on the histogram and adjust exp comp to bring the histogram to the right.
7Ds are prone to a lot of noise, esp at high ISO, so expose to the right and bring back down in post. Not enough to blow the highlights, but just enough to keep the shadows clean.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=744235

And several good articles here

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=518554


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Mark, explains the Manual setting a lot better than I can, See post #8

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1275083/1#12151176

Also a correction to the above post, Shutter around 1/2500 for the WHITE birds, and no less than 1/1200 for the DARKER ones. Dont want to blur the wing tips is the reason for the minimal shutter speed.


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## griz (Jan 9, 2006)

*Thanks*

Thanks I've been looking at that forum since you posted the stuff about tammy and 7D. Pretty good forum. Have you checked out 500px.com yet? Nice photo site. They do a really nice job of rendering your photos. I sent you a pm with some info I think you'll like 

Griz


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## MichaelW (Jun 16, 2010)

Nice set of shots. I especially like that 2nd one.


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

MichaelW said:


> Nice set of shots. I especially like that 2nd one.


Thanks Michael.


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

griz said:


> Thanks I've been looking at that forum since you posted the stuff about tammy and 7D. Pretty good forum. Have you checked out 500px.com yet? Nice photo site. They do a really nice job of rendering your photos. I sent you a pm with some info I think you'll like
> 
> Griz


Yep, I know a few guys and gals that have moved over there, I am still with Zenfolio ( http://davisbourque.zenfolio.com ) since there use my printer ( MPIX ) as their default print service.
Got the PM, Thanks


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## The Machine (Jun 4, 2007)

love the birds


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Awesome Pics!


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## chubri777 (Aug 11, 2005)

Great shots, Stargazer. The Ibis is crazy good. I can't get within a couple hundred feet of them.


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## huntmaster58 (Oct 1, 2008)

Good stuff! thanks


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Thanks again for the comments.


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