I have a couple more photography questions.

1) I have read about using bean bags as props for the camera. Do they really mean bean bags?? Really?

2) In most of the great photos the birds are in natural settings, especially on branches. Are these birds actually in trees or are these props? My trees are 90 ft pines and the lowest branches are at least 20 ft off the ground. Even with my zoom, I can't get close enough. If the birds are on the feeders then it isn't a natural setting. Any ideas?

Cross posted on Feathered Friends

Hello Gayla,

Here is the info you wanted on bean bags and photography...all I did was google.
http://www.vertexphoto.com/BeanBag.aspx
They have great photography classes at colleges if you want to know all these details. There are also wonderful books you can get at the library or at Book stores like Barnes & Noble or online at Amazon. Most new cameras come with manuals that explain many situations for taking photos too. I know mine did and it's not near as fancy as the one you have...
(copied this for you in the Feathered Friends forum too)

Susan Louise
from Branford CT/ live in Lincoln NE
Zone 5

Bean bags can be anything from a ziplock bag filled with beans or a special made bag that you can mount a ball head on, up till now I used the zip lock but have moved up to an Apex, works very well.

http://www.naturescapes.net/store/product.php?productid=449

A lot of the really great pictures you see are staged, they pick a perch that compliments the bird and position it so they get a nice background, they bring the bird in with food or recorded calls while waiting in a blind.




Martin
--
Vancouver Island, zone 8B
Nikon D70/D200 300 f4 af-s, 400 2.8 af-i
www.frogpondphotography.com
www.frogpondphotography.blogspot.com

It appears I may have asked one too many questions about cameras/photography. I'll limit myself to birds and hummers.....for a while.


: )

Gayla
Jackson, Mississippi
Canon XSi and S3 IS
Zone 7b; Heat Zone 9 (Ugh)

Gayla, I can only speak for myself, in saying 'my hummers' only use 'real branches and blooms'!
I don't have feeders. And even with a 400 mm lens, it is hard to get a descent shot if the bird is a tiny hummer and is high in the trees. I have only read of one poster who 'places cut blooms in front of a feeder' but others may do so.
If you have a camera with a high resolution, at least you can 'crop' out the bird and still have a descent photo.
Although they will take some time to grow, consider planting other trees in your garden...
While I am definitely not an expert this is my 10 cents worth......

These photos of a pair of Orange-chinned parakeets were taken the other morning at the top of a tree about 30 ft high using a 300mm lens with a 1.4 Teleconverter.



Then cropped and saved at 600x800 pixels



But, these birds are a bit bigger than a hummer...

Gayla,

The info that Martin and I gave you wasn't helpful to you?
It comes across to me that I may have said something to offend you? Everything I posted was "matter of fact". There are classes at the local community colleges here that are quite inexpensive for photography...extracurricular as well as for professionals. You seem as if you want to get those perfect shots. Many times it helps to take classes when there is "hands on" with a teacher/professional. You also have a camera better than mine, and there are several books about photography to be found everywhere. Martin and I also offered you links for added help. I also have read my manual and refer to it many times.
I don't understand...guess I thought there would be a "thank you" somewhere...call me kooky. I guess you didn't want my help...

Martin,

Very cool info!

Susan Louise
from Branford CT/ live in Lincoln NE
Zone 5

I think this shows how hard it is to "read" flat emails without context and facial expressions.

I am wildly happy and appreciative of all the information I have received and am indebted to those who took the time to write. BUT I thought I might be bugging folks by asking TOO many questions about cameras/lphotography. After all this forum is supposed to be about birds and hummers.

I will try to make my "thanks" more obvious because I do appreciate the info.

Gayla
Jackson, Mississippi
Canon XSi and S3 IS
Zone 7b; Heat Zone 9 (Ugh)

Gayla, I can't help you with photography, but I'm a "branches" expert.
At my last house, I had the same problem of trees that were too tall for getting good looks or photos, so I stuck dead limbs all over the place; in large pots, strapped to a fence post or in a shrub, etc. I also stripped the leaves off of some branches on living shrubs. Birds of all sorts used these "perches," especially the ones near the bird bath (for preening.)

At this house, I was lucky enough to inherit some large dead shrubs, which I've incorporated into my garden "plan." When I went out a little while ago to get a picture of the most popular one, sure enough, there was a hummer sitting in it. Much to my surprise, though, it didn't sound like a Ruby-throated, and it appeared to have a lot of rufous colored feathers. I just had my tiny Sony Cybershot with me, but I did have my binos on, so I took a bunch of shots through the left lens while looking through the right one with my left eye. THEN a took a pic of the dead shrub!







Lizette, New Orleans, La.
USDA Zone 9

Lizette, however you managed to accomplish it, it worked!

Gayla,

Ask all the questions you want. It will be a Looooooooong Booooooooorring winter if we only talk about the lack of hummers! I copied and saved the other post so I can practice too.

I was going to suggest a broken limb or stick stuck imn a pot or duct taped (lol) closer to your camera. I had luck using that this summer. Just make sure you use the "Camo Duct Tape"!

Pam NJ 6B

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Lizette, I can't wait to try adding some branches around the yard.

Martin, I will also try to round up a bean bag or two, although your Apex looks very nice.

Susan Louise, I have actually taken a photography class from a professional portrait/wedding photographer. It was a multi-week course associated with our college. He was very good, but not into the nature photography that I seem to be drawn to. I have also bought Canon XSi for Dummies to help out with my manual.

Pam, thanks for the kind words!

It is getting pretty dark when I get home from work, so I'll have to focus my efforts on the weekend.

Happy birding,

Gayla
Jackson, Mississippi
Canon XSi and S3 IS
Zone 7b; Heat Zone 9 (Ugh)

Gayla - Looks like you've recieved a lot of good information here, so I'll just add one more link for you to check out. If you're handy with a needle and thread, this design is very flexible and versatile. If not, you can find it on Amazon for $19.95 or less. Any bean bag will work, but much like mousetraps, someone's always trying to build a better one

http://www.cam-pod.com/

During the summer, I usually have a beanbag or hand towel that I can fold up, near any window where I might have a view to a hummingbird perched or on a bloom.

Good luck with your new obsession!

Bud
Southwest Ohio
USDA Plant Zone 6a

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Pentax DA*300 f/4, Sigma 180 f/3.5 Macro
There's 1 or 2 more hummingbird / butterfly pics located here...
http://www.pbase.com/budohio