A few birdies from today.

[MN Shutterbug]

Now that the sun finally decided to show it's face, I decided to run over to Camden State Park and sit behind their office, where their bird feeders are located. I got a few decent shots, but to those who have got good photos of nuthatches and chickadees, I'm humbled. Them little buggers don't sit still for 2 seconds. However, while standing outside with my monopod, I did have a nuthatch come straight for me and land on my shoulder. He was only there for a second, but that was kinda cool. I believe I have a house finch, downy woodpecker and red breasted nuthatch.

[Steve Foss]

XT, you've got the IDs spot on. Good job.

Don't be discouraged about those mast moving minibirds. Once you get used to their timing you'll be able to trip the shutter at just the right moment. Takes a bit of practice is all.

The light is very harsh on the woodpecker and nuthatch, with some of the whites blown out. Were these the original files just resized for posting, or did you do some post-processing work? If these have been post processed, why don't you post the originals?

[MN Shutterbug]

I see what you mean, Steve. I reworked them and I believe they are improved. However, the nuthatch does not have complete info in the white so I still have to live with a little blow out. I also decreased the saturation a bit on the downy. Better?

Thanks for the tips.

[Steve Foss]

I figured that, XT. The downy looks less harsh. The RBH, well, you can't get back data in the whites once it's blown out, as you know. However, it's still a great pose (there isn't much that's blown out anyway) and the tree trunk is cool, too. Whole thing also is quite sharp. A quick and easy way to kill some of the harshness would be to pull it up in PS and darken mid-range levels somewhat.

To my eye, it's still excellent work.

Does your Panasonic allow exposure compensation? This was quite a challenge for your meter, with the bright sun on the whites of the bird and the black in the BG. If you have EC, a quick drop to - 2/3 EC probably would have saved those whites without underexposing the rest of the scene much at all. If it doesn't have EC, it'll likely at least let you shoot in a manual mode. You can let the meter set the camera in an automated mode, note the settings, then switch to manual and stop the lens down just a bit or up the shutter speed to underexpose the image just a bit. Takes a bit more time, that way, of course, and often in these situations there is NO time for that much gobbledygook.

[MN Shutterbug]

Thanks, Steve.

Yes, my Panasonic has EC. Everything was centered in the histogram and looked good thru the viewfinder, and for the amount of time these birds sit still, I really didn't want to take even a millisecond to fiddle with any controls. Now that I have a satisfactory one, I'll maybe take more time the next time around and probably even set it to bracket by + and - 2/3. Also, on the original, it's a medium dark blue BG but went to black during PP. However, I like it that way.

[WifeKidsandDog]

I love the little nuthutch -- lovely shot. I like the post processing too in the second, you were able to pull a lot of detail back in the white.

[Steve Foss]

Cool, XT, sounds like you've got the handle on it, then.

If the histogram was centered, however, and there was nothing to the right side that was cut off to indicate highlight blowout, it's possible it happened in post processing. Did you use the "contrast" feature at all the make the photo pop? If so, it is a blunt tool that can blow out whites in a heartbeat, and there are other ways to achieve the same affect. I, like you, like the black BG quite well.

You know, XT, the more I look at this on my monitor, the more I think that patch of white isn't blown out after all. I've blown it up pretty big and can see detail in most all of it, and the histogram looks OK. I'll leave what I said above because it's just good advice, but I no longer think it applies to your bird. Sorry for the runaround.

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

Great pictures, but I think the Nuthatch is actually a white and not a red.

[MN Shutterbug]

Steve, no need to apologize. I appreciate the feedback and if you wouldn't have mentioned this, I wouldn't have improved on either the downy or the nuthatch. Although I love compliments, I also appreciate constructive criticism. This is how we learn not to settle for just "decent" shots.

LP, after a bit of research, I have to concede. I assumed that little coloring on his underside meant something. I see now that rb nuthatches have a white stripe above the eye and a black stripe running thru the eye, which the wb don't have. Thanks for the correction. That just means I'm going to have to go back and try and get a photo of a rb nuthatch. I'm pretty sure there are a few out there.

[MN Shutterbug]

Although, not what I would consider a keeper, I did actuallt capture a red breasted nuthatch this morning. Now, I can see the differece.

[Steve Foss]

Yikes, LP, geat catch there. I never even looked at the bird names in the original post.

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

We have tons of Nuthatches running around our feeders, 1 pair of white and 2 pairs of red. Fun to watch, they seem to fight with their own kind if they get close when they are eating. Really fun when you have 3-5 pairs of chickadees coming and going.

[MN Shutterbug]

C'mon LP, lets prove it with some pictures. Yeah, chickadees are a blast to watch, but dang, they never sit still, except when they are on a feeder.

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

By far the White-Breasted Nuthatches to me are the toughest to photograph, then Red-Breasted, and then Chickadees. I also got some more shy birds to land the 4 feet in front of me to the feeder. I would like an identification of these, I think they are Pine Siskin, but they also look like Purple, and House Finch.

Best Feeder Chickadee as in Clearness and Closeness, to bad it is a little dark.

Best off feeder

Please Identify These

To let you know the camera I am using has only 3X digital Zoom, the camera is a Kodak Easy Share CX6330. Not really meant for nature photos, that's why I have to get so close and sit so still.

I'll get you a better Chickadee off the feeder tomorrow, I focus on the feeder a lot, and I know I really shouldn't.

I'm 15 so I really can't get a nice new camera, and I love the outdoors so I try hard.

[Steve Foss]

Yes, LP, those are pine siskins.

And don't worry about which camera you have. Learn to use it to its fullest potential and have a blast while doing it. That's really the main thing. More expensive cameras come and go, but a love of being close to birds lasts forever. I started feeding bird when I was 12. I've spent over 30 years since then continuing to feed them, and it's as much fun now as it was when I started.

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

I got the Chickadee Pic. I wanted and some. Closest Pic. of any bird, and it was a Red-Breasted Nuthatch. Also my closest of any Woodpecker, a Downy.

[MN Shutterbug]

LP, you've got some nice picks there. They're a real improvement over your recent ones. What did you do different? I especially like the chickadee and the last shot of the rb nuthatch. Just think what you could do with a 12X zoom. Decent quality advanced point and shoots have really improved and dropped in price, over the last couple years. My Panasonic with the 12X zoom only cost around $250. They now have a newer and slightly improved one out, for the same price. I'll admit, my bird shots included a 1.7 conversion lens but as close as you seem to get to your birds, you wouldn't need one right away. Pick up a few odd jobs here and there, and before you know it, you'll have the cash for a camera upgrade. I can already see you have what it takes, including the passion. Keep it up and keep posting.

BTW, in the future, you should start your own thread, when you want to share photos. I certainly don't mind you adding to mine, but you'll probably get more viewers. Many members who have already checked out this thread, probably won't look at it again.

[Steve Foss]

I agree, LP. You take your own pics, you deserve your own thread.