[LRflex] Re: Mountain Blue Bird.

Herr Herr wrote:


David Young wrote:

>I've been trying for several years, now, to get a decent shot of a
>male, Mountain Blue Bird.  The females are more tolerant of people
>(at least, in my area) but they have weaker colouring, and don't look
>quite so spectacular.  The males stay further away, which makes the
>entire exercise more difficult.
>
>Today, I think I may have done it....
>
>http://www.furnfeather.net/Temps/B-Bird.htm
>
The males have been more difficult for me too! For the sake of those who are not familiar with this bird, the colors in David's photo are quite accurate. He really is that blue.
I like the perch your bird is on better than the metal stake the bird was perched on in my recent photo, but it looks a bit soft. Was this the noise reduction? 


Good Mornin' Doug!

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one, with "male troubles"!  ;-)
I noticed, too, that the web offering looks a bit soft. However, my TIFF file - sized for 8x10's - is tack as a sharp. I suspect the softness comes not from Neat Image (default settings - nice & simple) but from the fact that I saved the web version at just 60% quality. Sorry, but when I expect to sell a photo, I keep web versions small & relatively low grade... to prevent theft.
I got several good images, as well, of this chap's "wife" ... nearly all with a bug in her mouth, for she heading to the nest, to feed her young. However, I've found that people rarely buy images of birds with bugs, and in all of them, she was perched on either barbed wire, or a post. Like you, I prefer the shot on the sapling.
He perched on that tree for about a half minute. It was windy and although I got three nice, perfectly sharp images, this one was the best of the bunch, for both pose and lighting. In the others, he's at odd angles, as he balanced on branches which moved several inches in the breeze.
To my amazement, I took the shot around 3 PM, yesterday, and posted it here, a few hours later. Already, today, I have an order for a framed 8x10" print! That's how it's supposed to work (but never does)!
If there's a down side, it's that he's so small and nearly 7 meters (~20') away, that the crop was substantial. Even with a great starting image, an 8x10" is about the maximum size I can squeeze out of it, while maintaining good quality. 

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment.  :-)

Cheers!


---
David Young
Logan Lake, BC

Wildlife Photos: www.furnfeather.net
Rodeo Photos: www.galleries.furnfeather.net
Personal Website: www.main.furnfeather.net

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