[missbirdphotos] Re: It's official! I'm going to Alaska
- From: Frank Hensley <dr_frank_hensley@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 12:03:27 -0700 (PDT)
Gayla, one idea (stolen from Alan Murphy's book on songbird setups) is to keep
your structural perch the same, but periodically change just the end of it. Use
zip ties or baling wire to attach a piece of lichen-covered pine to a perch
that birds are using. Take some shots. The next day, replace the pine with a
blooming cutting of dogwood. You only need about 1 foot of material. You can
even put your "perch" in water to keep it fresh, but by fastening it to
something the birds are used to landing on, you don't have to keep changing
your setup much. You could also use a potted plant or small tree to modify the
background...
________________________________
From: "Dance, Gayla" <dancegf@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 1:49 PM
Subject: [missbirdphotos] Re: It's official! I'm going to Alaska
Thank you so much. I dream of obtaining this type of result.
Well, now I am on a quest for some special branches. Thanks for the
inspiration.
gayla
From:missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Robert Smith
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 1:39 PM
To: Mississippi Bird Photos Freelists
Subject: [missbirdphotos] Re: It's official! I'm going to Alaska
I keep my eye out for photogenic perches all the time when I'm out & about.
When I'm on property where I have permission ot "collect" props, I'll put them
in my truck. Such props have ranged from small branches to 500+ pound logs.
Here are a couple of examples.
In the cardinal & mockingbird shot, I picked up a dead cedar branch is
southeast Georgia & carried it back to central North Carolina. It was almost 8
months later that I used it. I pulled down some greenbriar (with fruit) &
wrapped it "naturally" on the branch. I then put the branch in a Christmas
tree stand near a feeder. I got in a chair blind with my lens & moved it back
& forth until "the" branch was composing pleasingly in the viewfinder... I
spent an hour or so in the blind & got several shots I was happy with - two
attached here.
In the bluebird & cedar waxwing shots, I put a pyracantha branch on an old
fence post that I had a mealworm feeder on, hoping for some bluebird shots.
The cedar waxwing stopped by as well (much to my pleasure!). Again, I was
sitting in a chair blind with the sun at my back...
In the chipmunk picture, I was looking at a piece of property for a gentleman,
when we drove down next to the river. A recent flood had deposited a log
across the woods road - and it was a nice, hollow sycamore with lots of holes!
Rather than throw it out of the road, we put it in the back of the truck. I
took it to Gary Carter's and with a little work with a posthole digger, we had
a new prop... A few handfuls of peanuts down the hole resulted in chipmunk &
squirrels going in & out...
And then the cardinal in the snow... I had a sweetgum snag "planted" in the
yard. Just before a snow, I hung a Christmas ornament on it. As the snow
fell, I sat in a blind & shot away...
I could go on & on with similar examples...
One problem with "special" perches is that you have to change them out
regularly or all your pictures start to look the "same".
Robert Smith
336-339-3497
rsmithent@xxxxxxx
www.photobiologist.com
________________________________
From: dancegf@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To: missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 13:16:49 -0500
Subject: [missbirdphotos] Re: It's official! I'm going to Alaska
If you have the time and inclination, I would love a photo to see the set-up
for your “special” perches near your feeder.
gayla
From:missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Robert Smith
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 10:05 AM
To: Mississippi Bird Photos Freelists
Subject: [missbirdphotos] Re: It's official! I'm going to Alaska
All right! Congratulations! Enjoy Alaska!
Do I use a blind for backyard bird photography? Yes and no. Most of the time
I do, but there are some birds that I don't have to use a blind for. If I've
set up a number of "special" perches near my feeders, then I often use a
blind. There are some birds that are used to me filling up the feeders & will
approach within feet of me, but other birds are "spookier" and to get the shots
I want, a blind is needed. At my house, it is usually a chair blind or a
bigger hunting blind with a chair inside it. My friend, Gary Carter, has an
elaborate blind & perch system in his backyard - we've had 8 photographers in
his permanent blind at one time. I've got other friends that have built
permanent blinds as well. I also have one friend that puts on a ghillie suit
and captures amazing bird photos with a 70-300 mm lens in his backyard. I've
also laid under camo netting for shorebird & waterfowl pictures. There IS a
camo photography blind that
resembles a big sack that you put yourself in.
I've also been thinking about a response to your eye-level warbler question - I
can think of several different times that I've had warblers at eye-level for a
number of reasons.
Robert
Robert Smith
336-339-3497
rsmithent@xxxxxxx
www.photobiologist.com
________________________________
From: dancegf@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To: missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 09:13:57 -0500
Subject: [missbirdphotos] It's official! I'm going to Alaska
It’s official! We are going on a land/sea cruise to Alaska this year, so I
must learn to use my camera!!!!
I do have a question for those that practice bird photography in your back
yard. Do you use a blind or are the birds accepting of you, if you frequent
your backyard often? Does anyone use camo netting to wrap themselves in? It
sounds unusual, but I did read that on a forum.
I borrowed my son’s D70 camera body yesterday to try with the Bigma. I’m
hoping for more light and quicker response time.
Gayla dance
Brandon.
Other related posts:
