Official Photography Thread

[swampfrog]

I cannot tell scaups apart from each other. Also, that's a great photo of the cormorant. Do you use ebird to report what you see?

Pretty sure they are lesser. I don't use ebird. What does it provide in a nutshell? I'll look at their site also, but was curious what it offers the casual birder.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I miss wood ducks. I've only seen one in the ten years I've been in Vegas.

And yes. Looks like a lesser to me.

[wuapinmon]

Pretty sure they are lesser. I don't use ebird. What does it provide in a nutshell? I'll look at their site also, but was curious what it offers the casual birder.

eBird is crowd-sourced population research. They have a free ap that makes data entry very easy. It keeps a life list, and helps you remember where and when you were when you saw X bird. Mostly, I recommend it because every data point they get adds to the research they're trying to use to get a clearer picture of what bird populations are, instead of extrapolated numbers from banding and canvassing studies. It's helping the common good. They also aren't unreasonable. They recommend that birders purchase a duck stamp so that habitat for ducks can be acquired/maintained/taken back from Bundys so that birders and hunters alike can enjoy the ducks. So, it's not ideological, just keyed in to the science of the hobby.

[swampfrog]

eBird is crowd-sourced population research. They have a free ap that makes data entry very easy. It keeps a life list, and helps you remember where and when you were when you saw X bird. Mostly, I recommend it because every data point they get adds to the research they're trying to use to get a clearer picture of what bird populations are, instead of extrapolated numbers from banding and canvassing studies. It's helping the common good. They also aren't unreasonable. They recommend that birders purchase a duck stamp so that habitat for ducks can be acquired/maintained/taken back from Bundys so that birders and hunters alike can enjoy the ducks. So, it's not ideological, just keyed in to the science of the hobby.

I'm a birder mostly in the sense that they provide an interesting photographic subject, not a hobby in itself. The time I spend with a camera and birds is in learning and experimenting on what makes a captivating image of a bird. Not sure I would be very good at documenting all the birds I see.

For instance, take the flap shots of the scaup and widgeon. Which one strikes you as subjectively better? Why?

I miss wood ducks. I've only seen one in the ten years I've been in Vegas.

Wood ducks are a challenge to shoot, but very rewarding when you get it right. Very white next to deep blacks and rich colors. You want as much feather detail in the rich dark colors as you can get, but still maintain similar detail in the white feathers. Very easy to blow out the whites. This is one subject you can't let the camera decide the settings, it will blow out the highlights for sure. And any sun on the beak and the reflection blows out also.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

A sunrise shot from last week.

Sunrise.jpg

[swampfrog]

Nice sunrise, I really need to get myself up earlier...

Here's some flower/blossom shots:

[swampfrog]

And some more birds

[swampfrog]

for those who like playing with software, Google has release the Nik collection for the fantastic price of FREE. This was previously $149, and before that was hundreds of dollars.

https://www.google.com/nikcollection/

I use Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro on many images for a little extra pop. Especially landscapes.

1C2A3483-Edit.jpg on Flickr

1C2A3804-Edit.jpg on Flickr

1C2A3856-Edit.jpg on Flickr

[swampfrog]

Don't do posed portrait much, but another daughter is off to her first prom, so...

[clackamascoug]

Your daughter must be nice, along with being beautiful. I enjoy the prom photos the Oregonian runs this time of year depicting the debauchery of youth coupled with blind optimism.

That guy is not worthy.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

That guy is not worthy.

Don't judge a man by his bun.

[wuapinmon]

Don't judge a man by his bun.

Yeah, I'm guessing that that young man knows exactly how imbalanced the looks scale is on his date and he's just happy to be there.

[falafel]

Yeah, I'm guessing that that young man knows exactly how imbalanced the looks scale is on his date and he's just happy to be there.

I don't think so. The glasses and the bun suggest this dude thinks she's the lucky one.

[swampfrog]

Your daughter must be nice, along with being beautiful. I enjoy the prom photos the Oregonian runs this time of year depicting the debauchery of youth coupled with blind optimism.

That guy is not worthy.

Don't judge a man by his bun.

I don't think so. The glasses and the bun suggest this dude thinks she's the lucky one.

Yeah, I'm guessing that that young man knows exactly how imbalanced the looks scale is on his date and he's just happy to be there.

I was cursed blessed with my first 3 offspring being female. All 3 of them were initially attracted to and dated good looking "bad boy" pothead types as freshmen. This is the 3rd. The 1st recovered and is on a mission in Nauvoo. The 2nd has not yet recovered and is currently discovering how much fun it is to have to pay for everything herself. The 3rd realized much earlier than the other 2 that a future with a pothead was bleak at best. The boy in the picture is the next boyfriend. They met in band, they hang out with other band members. He spends most of his school day at the local community college in the running start program. Plays the sax and is involved with Jazz band. He's articulate, well mannered, and thoughtful. I like him, man bun notwithstanding.

[Copelius]

My favorite animal at the zoo. I really don't like the zoo but there is something fascinating about this one. [IMG]Rhino by copelius, on Flickr[/IMG]