These meals are for the birds

[terrib]

I think nature dealt the birds a bad hand when it comes to feeding their young. I suppose it's efficient but...

#1 Patience Please!!



#2 Takeout - Direct Delivery



#3 At least the little ones get to pick from the plate. These 2 are cropped about 50%. I was on top of a parking garage quite a distance away.



#4


#5 Lunch line. The lighting was pretty dappled in here. These are young Snowy Egrets.

[KHarmon]

I like #4 the best. I would hate to have to deal with the rowdy crowd in #5. Nice set all together.

[AB26]

Well done Terri, your effort has to be applauded. I like the compositions.

It is not easy getting the exposure perfect with white birds against a dark background as in these images. Clipping highlights in white bird shots like these make you lose detail in the feathers of the bird. It is important to retain as much detail in the feathers as possible, that IMHO is what makes a good bird shot, as much detail in the feathers as possible! Exposing to retain detail in the feathers might cause the dark background to be much darker, that in my opinion, does not matter, it will only make the subject stand out so much more.

I do not know what method you use for metering but in my experience spot metering still gives me a more accurate exposure especially with difficult shots like these. Look carefully and you will see the leaves and branches in these shots have been perfectly exposed whilst highlights on the birds have been clipped. In 5 the highlights on the leaves, where the sun is shining on it, has also been clipped. You can under expose rather than over expose – but you know that. Be very careful not to clip highlights on your subject. You may clip highlights else ware but not on the bird itself, you lose all data in clipped areas.

My favorites are 1&2.

[Nat]

I'm really impressed by these. Especially given your location. I am also green with envy, you got some terrific shots. I do believe it's a Great White Egret, though. Nice job capturing these!

[Otavio]

Hi Terri. This is a very good set! Nice opportunity and you enjoyed it nicely! Well done!

[ggt]

Terri,

That second shot (Direct Delivery) is really spectacular. Not only is the subject matter unique, the grey coolness of the branches below in contrast with the warm green leaves above really draws the eye to the birds beaks --which are visually centered in a very nice way. The background really shows the white of the birds feathers without making their brightness --glaring (if you know what I mean)

All these pics are great, that one really stands out to me.

Gretchen

[terrib]

I like #4 the best. I would hate to have to deal with the rowdy crowd in #5. Nice set all together.

Thanks Kris. I like the content and the cute factor of #4 the best even though it's not the best technically. Yeah, that crowd in #5 was a riot to watch. I will probably be posting a few more from their antics.

[terrib]

Thanks Andre for the feedback. There actually are no clipped highlights in any of these photos. There were no blinkies in camera and there are no pixels running up the right side of the histograms in Lightroom. So I believe any issues will have to be attributed to my PP. I do use spot metering, by the way.

I should say that #'s 3 & 4 were taken with totally inappropriate settings (1/1600 & ISO of 4000 ) and also from a far distance which required cropping. The loss of detail in those two is probably more attributed to the noise reduction and cropping. In all honesty, I probably shouldn't have posted them but I sometimes let the cute factor influence me to share when it's not my best work technically. I forget my audience. So I probably won't revisit these.

However, the other three were shot with settings deliberate to the situation, although relatively high ISOs were necessary on #1 and #5 so that contributes and #2 is cropped because it was framed in camera the same as #1 so that contributes to loss of detail. I will play with these some more to see if I can improve them by bringing down the bright spots (either globally or locally) that may be perceived as blown. I know that in #5, I brought the exposure up in PP and I see that I probably went too far.

Thanks for making me take another look!

[terrib]

... I do believe it's a Great White Egret, though. ...

Hi Nat. Thanks for the compliments! I should have been more clear. In #5, the chicks are actually Snowy Egrets as I indicated. They haven't developed their adult coloring yet but I saw their parent feeding them so that's how I knew. But all the other photos are of Great Egrets as you say. Thanks for helping me clarify!

[terrib]

Hi Terri. This is a very good set! Nice opportunity and you enjoyed it nicely! Well done!

Thanks Otavio!

[terrib]

Terri,
...
All these pics are great, that one really stands out to me.

Gretchen

Thank you Gretchen! #2 is also my favorite. I do wish the other chick's head wasn't hidden but they were just too distracted to pay attention to my instructions. I was amazed at the clarity of the food when I got it on the computer. I really didn't see it at the time because this was one of those where you set up the shot, push and hold the shutter for high speed clicks and hope you catch something interesting.

[jprzybyla]

Nice Terri, great images. You are getting good, way to go.

[Brownbear]

Great captures of special moments in nature...

[Cantab]

Terri, a really great set. The clarity of the fish being fed to a chick really is wonderful. Congratulations!

[terrib]

Thank you Joe, Christina and Bruce.

Joe I do feel I'm improving but then someone else comes along and posts a much better picture at the same location and under the same conditions and I'm reminded I still have far to go. This has happened on a Google+ community I frequent. I do love these online opportunities to get feedback and to be able to compare work. Otherwise, I might just think I'd arrived!

[Mike Buckley]

I think nature dealt the birds a bad hand

On the contrary, I think the problem is that nature didn't deal them any hands.

[Bobobird]

Opportunity presented and you took good advantage of it.

Beautiful set of shots.

Good advice by Andre on the whites. Actually whites I find are probably just a tad easier compared to pure black. But that is me and my lack of camera skills.