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Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove
cynthiann


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Collection: Birds 2009
Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
Location: Kentucky
Galleries: Animals, Birds
Date Uploaded: Jan 20, 2009

Viewed: 1033
Comments: 23
Favorites: 1 (view)

 OK, I'll let you in on it since Ann asked and her tutorial played a big role in inspiring me to light these shots up.

Basically, I shoot out of a clean window. I have an adjustable bird 'tray', which is basically 1 square foot of wood with a rim and two legs that move in and out to allow me to raise and lower my pile of cheap seed. I have a long branch about 6 feet out for them to perch on. Depending on what type of flight I'm looking for, I lower and raise that as well.

I capture the birds under the eave of my house so that no ambient light is hitting them. This photo was taken on a very cloudy day, ergo the black background that I love.

I have an B800 to the left at 1/2 and working as a slave off my SB600 to the right set on TTL on my camera. Now, I know NOTHING about lights so I'm really looking for feedback here.

200 ISO, 1/200, f11

The dove is about 3 feet away from me here just flapping his wings and trying to find a place to land as there were 4 or 5 others already gorging on the seed.

That's what seemed to work at the end of the day. I seem to learn more and more everytime I take a day to do a bird shot. Hopefully I can start coming out with more than 1 a day, but I'm not complaining.

WARNING: If you are not a patient person, do not even try this.

ETA: I have a black sheet hanging from the inside of my window with a hole cut out for the lens. Simple but effective. The blue jays are SMART, I don't get them much. They drop straight down from above nowadays and are gone in 2 seconds. The cardinals are moody and sneak in from the sides but at least they stick around for a couple of shots. But the doves like to just hover sometimes like this one did for me.

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AuthorThread
 05/01/2009 02:29:24 PM
You have so many fabulous images in your birds collection, but this is my fav. What a wonderful capture! Thanks for letting us in on your methodology; lucky for us you are a patient person :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2009 09:02:30 PM
Very dramatic, almost ethereal..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2009 06:32:50 AM
Almost an apparition, but with substance. Love the way it is holding its talons in. And very nice of you to share the setup information! I don't have the patience, nor the birdfeeder, but one of these days I may give it a try.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2009 12:18:07 PM
This is stunning and the processing adds and effect that's almost spooky. Very cool.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2009 03:21:42 PM
Beautiful white dove on the black background. The light makes it somewhat mysterious. Thanks for the story!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/25/2009 11:59:21 PM
That is quite the shot, it almost looks like an angel in flight! Thanks for the setup information.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/25/2009 09:42:55 PM
Cool. Love the layering on the feathers. And thanks for describing the setup. Very interesting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/25/2009 01:48:25 AM
Stunning...I just love this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/24/2009 01:04:46 AM
PAW - great timing with the pigeon looking right at you and the wings appearing to be tucked in. You have quite an elaborate setup for this. Well done on the black background. Yes, Ann's tutorial is great. I hope to use it some day when I get more flashes and learn to use them better.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2009 05:34:29 PM
Thanks for all the info on the patience and the logistics. That goes a long way to explaining how you got such an impossibly great shot. Iconicly good - thanks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2009 05:05:32 PM
Looks like a dream of some sort. Beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2009 11:41:03 AM
This photo is just astounding!!! I love it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/22/2009 10:22:25 AM
wow is all I can say! Thanks for sharing, and for linking Ann's tutorial too! (Thanks Ann for sharing as well!) ~I'm a newby and a very amateur birder with not much equipment, so all this is very inspiring to me!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2009 11:24:59 PM
WOW, excellent very nice. Thanks for sharing the setup.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2009 10:49:31 PM
very nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2009 08:59:14 PM
That is very cool! I may have to try that.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2009 06:48:02 PM
This is beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2009 03:21:32 PM
This is indeed a very cool shot. Nice capture with his wings exactly like that!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2009 01:47:35 PM
Cool shot and thank you for sharing how you did this
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/20/2009 08:12:24 PM
very nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/20/2009 02:32:31 PM
Okay, you must explain. Inquiring minds want to know.

Total coolness.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/20/2009 01:32:45 PM
How in the world did you get this shot?! Very cool.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/20/2009 12:57:08 PM
wow! cool!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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