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Come See Our Group Project 2013!


kja
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Yeah I got up this morning at 'crack of stupid'... but it is my normal getting up for work time... I went to the local lake and had a go this morning... wow, what an array of birds... and damn do I need a longer lens!!! :)

I was sad I couldn't use zoo shots, I have gorgeous shots of my guys at work! So I couldn't cheat and use this:

6842871166_34d5ede161_z.jpg

Hoping everyone is having a blast trying to capture birdies!! Or feathery things!

MnDM

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how'd you go this morning Snook?

monet' - aren't the penguins the cutest! where do you work?

cc - sounds like a great day out

hope everyone is going well, or getting there :)

a ramble coming up:

didn't really want to repeat the rainbow lorikeets from the last theme (even though I only had one shot) I've been trying to get gallahs or corellas or some unidentified parrots at the kids' park just round the corner from me, I've walked there with a dog and the 70-200mm multiple times and either they haven't been around or it's too dark or they're too far away, last night was my best effort but it was all of the above, too dark, they weren't on the ground feeding like I wanted, rather hanging and flying around high in the trees, the few semi-decent shots I got was when I walked away from the trees and watched out for them coming flying in from a distant tree, but yeh, nothing very good mostly silhouettes and too distant.

I did get some ducks at the river early this week and was glad to have them as back-up, though wish I'd had the 70-200mm lens on rather than the 50mm as although the shots are pretty they're not intimate which I figured would be better as to indicate the theme yeh?

Anyway, as a last ditch effort I tried this morning, again, some corellas on the ground feeding, but as soon as I tried a little closer they flew up into the trees again, even shot off a couple of magpies on the ground, I continued onto the dog park where I knew there was a family of those unidentified parrots I'd vaguely thought would be cool to try and capture, I've seen them there when I've taken the dogs for their walks but haven't been in the right frame of mind, or with the right lens etc. to really give it much of a go, this morning I hunted them, as soon as I got there and let Chester off the lead a few flew off into a far-off tree, I followed a little and waited a little and they came back down to the ground to feed. I've never really been able to even see them very closely because they're very camouflaged, a faint greeny blue with yellow black and white on the wings and one tiny spot of red, the other sex are duller almost sparrow-brown and they hang out in pairs (something I only know now from this mornings trip) Often times I've walked right up on them without knowing only when they are flying off into the distance. I'm happy to report that I got some fairly decent shots from this effort (although they aren't off the camera yet, you know how that can turn out 'eh?), considering my lack of experience in doing this sort of thing. And I still need to identify them.

And the other thing I wanted to say is despite my lack of creativity combined with ability in photographing anything other than my own dogs, I'm really enjoying these themes, these parrots I've seen so many times and thought how cool it would be to get a shot of them but never had the right circumstances, this fortnights' theme has really made me make that effort to ensure the circumstances came together to give it as good a go as I could!

cheers :D

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That was awesome to read clicking mad!

It's been great for me too. Even though I've lived in WA my whole life I have never been to Penguin Island, so it's helping me see more of WA :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I took some back up shots too in case Penguin Island turned out to be a dud (that is literally not possible - I have never seen so many birds in my whole life :eek: )

I love the challenge of trying something new and thinking creatively :)

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That made me smile CM :D

Sounds like you had a great trip Snook :thumbsup: shame it was raining but sounds like Justice had a blast too :D

Looking forward to seeing all your photos :D

It's been great for me too. Even though I've lived in WA my whole life I have never been to Penguin Island, so it's helping me see more of WA :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I've lived here 2.5yrs and have now been three times :laugh:

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I'm loving the fact it made me get out and STOP and pay attention. We have a little lake near us that I've visited once in three years.... It was great seeing birdies doing birdy things... But yes I agree you need boat loads of patience!

CM - I'm in Melbourne.... Only one zoo in the city :)

Can't wait to see everyone's photos... I've got to upload mine yet... Blogger wasn't liking me yesterday!

MnDM

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:cool:

snook - glad you took Justice, I was gonna encourage you to but your post was too early for me :)

monet' - ah how cool is that! why didn't I know that? do you get to play with all sorts? or just with the birds? okay, that's like a really boring question that you get asked by everyone 'eh?

I've just thought Werribee Zoo has an outdoor bird-hide, would that be considered permissable for this theme, the birds aren't fenced in, they aren't fed either if I recall correctly? more of an academic question as I don't have any time to get there now ...

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Arrgghhhh! Now I have more than 3 - and I'm being very indecisive. I like them all for different reasons. Might just have to put the other ones in here!! After posting date of course. (and I'm not a bird person either.......)

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Snook,

I totally agree about the whole new respect for bird photographers. I went to a man made wetland yesterday that is near to home. Not the best time of day and not the best venue but the best I was going to be able to manage. To start with all I could see were Willie Wagtails - OMG those little birds are hard to catch, so quick and so erratic with their movements! I came home with the hugest amount of respect for a friend that posts beautiful bird pics to Facebook regularly, how she gets in focus pictures of swallows in flight I do NOT know!

I also decided my lens is too short for birds, even bigger birds and definitely not fast enough for birds in flight.

My thought was if nothing else I would probably find some families feeding the ducks when I went out. Wrong. Luckily I did end up with 3 different photos of 3 different species. Nothing amazing but certainly tested me getting them - I was being so careful with every step of of the path as it was perfect snake location and weather but I wasn't game to stand about near reeds and bushes for too long.

ETA: I still enjoyed the theme though, it is all about making me move out of my comfort zone.

Edited by piper
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Yep - its hard work isn't it! They're so fast and you have no idea where they're going next. Bird photographers must have the patience of a saint. And then you get the camera out and they stop doing whatever it is that you wanted them to keep doing. Contrary creatures :laugh:

Hey kja - have your birds come back yet??

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Got a version of a shot I'd been thinking about this morning. Didn't think I'd be able to and it's quite different than the original thought, but working with wildlife I take advantage of whatever the opportunity brings!

Have a couple others that will work, but aren't really what I wanted to achieve, but have had to totally scrap my first two plans due to uncooperative subjects LOL

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Don't forget, images for Theme Three are due up tomorrow!!

I'm going to announce the new theme now because I am off on holiday and do not have very good internet connection where I'm going. I hope to be able to post my contributions for the new theme on time, but I might have to wait until I'm home.

Lorella has chosen Portraits

Shooting runs from 15 Feb - 28 Feb inclusive

Images post on 01 March

Edited by kja
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