Only the head is red on the Red-bellied Wood Pecker.
The easiest way to do this is when there’s a bird feeder within range of your camera. Just set the camera on a tripod, and fill the frame with the feeder. Use auto focus on the feeding station, then lock in the focus by changing it to manual. To fill the frame with the feeder as the subject, use the longest focal length you own. This could help you determine whether (or not) you could use more lens. Whatever the focal length, it will have to suffice now since who’s going to bake sales?
Remember to set the WB for the prevailing light color. Shoot in A or Av with the maximum aperture, and dial in a rather high ISO (800) just to keep a high shutter speed.
Image 1: Find and photograph a bird in a tree. Use Shutter priority (S or Tv) to set a speed that’s fast enough to keep the bird in the shot.
Image 2: Focus on a feeder, then set your camera and longest lens on a tripod as listed above. Switch to decafe if you’re like a soon-to-be-retired dentist who’s running out of patients.
Once you have taken both pictures Attach both images in jpeg format to an email and send to jack@jackcarlsonphotos.com.
New Rule: Images may be from any place where you can find bird brains. Immediate or extended family members do not qualify.
Old Rules:
- I know what some of you are thinking, but no dice: POST-PRODUCTION IS STILL NOT ALLOWED for the images you send.
- While this isn’t a structured class, it’s the same instructor.
- Feel free to send questions/comments or a recipe for peanut butter cookies in the note that accompanies your images
