There is a lot going on this Spring in my household. One thing, that I’m pretty excited about, is that there is a robin’s nest outside of my kitchen window. I’m busy taking photos of the birds as they are growing. I use a fast shutter speed setting on my camera but sometimes I still get photos that look like this:
A second later I get a clear shot:
This shot has been cropped and sharpened in Photoshop. No amount of sharpening is going to make that first picture a clear shot. For the most part to get these shots I have my camera on a tripod which is set on top of a few of the good dining room chairs that I have set outside. I have a remote shutter which allows me to be inside and taking pictures. I took a photo of this silly looking set up and blogged about it here. For the two shots above I used my Canon 50D. I also take my point and shoot out when I am setting up my larger camera. This morning I got this shot:
This shot, cropped and sharpened, is my favorite of the day. I’v been using my point and shoot everyday to get a close up photo like this. I have a series of photos of the eggs and then the hatchlings. Those photos I have posted on Twitter and Flickr, so feel free to drop by and follow along with the unfolding story there.
The difference between the two photos, between a blur of motion and a clear shot, is one second. The first photo taken at 9:17:47 and the second 9:17:48. What a difference a second can make.
What do you think? which photo do you prefer? Care to hazard a guess as to how many photos I took this morning between 8:31 and 9:18 as I was watching the adult birds come and go? Feel free to leave a comment or you guess below.
Cheers!
Oooooo, so cute!!!
janet
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I know, and just outside my window, I love it 🙂
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Wow!
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Thanks 🙂
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Outstandiing! Thanks for posting.
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Thank you for stopping by and commenting 🙂
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these are just amazing! as i write this my camera is on a tripod outside my patio doors, my remote to hand. my hummingbird has not been playing ball for days though!
my favourite is the last one, because that one in middle seems to be saving his energy until he sees a parent 🙂
anne
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Yeah, that middle bird seems to be wise to the fact that the noise just outside the nest is me and not a parent bird. That is so cool that you have a hummingbird set-up so close by 🙂
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Wow, great shots. What wonderful subject matter. They are obviously waiting for mom to bring them dinner. Cheers
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I try to get out there while the adult birds are away to set up or take down my camera. I love having all this happening right outside my window.
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What great photos and what a cheerful subject. I really enjoyed this post.
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Thanks for taking the time to say so, I appreciate it.
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Loved the last picture of the young birds. You are lucky that you can see them grow since day. 1 🙂
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Agreed, I am very lucky.
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🙂
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Beautiful photos, Amy. I like the one you took with the point and shoot – love seeing the birds up close. Always like the second photo a lot and those birds sure look hungry, and you certainly captured that brilliantly. Hope they got feed soon. I am taking a wild guess and saying you took 100 photos in that time frame 🙂
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Thanks. I like what I get with my point and shoot but I try to get just a few and get out of the way, I don’t want to bother the birds too much. Your guess was a bit low, 250 was the total for that morning 🙂
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That last shot Amy is stunning I’m not surprised it’s your favourite ! Incredible the difference yes, a second will make I guess it’s why I keep changing settings so often so atleast I have some chance of a shot . The number of clicks during that time this morning must have run into the hundreds .
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This particular morning I took 250 shots. Most of which will end up in the trash. I like having a lot to choose from in this situation. I just keep what I consider to be the very best.
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I like the last one, we can see the chick better 🙂
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I agree, that’s my favorite as well. It is interesting to me as well that some days I prefer the outcome of one camera over the other.
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Both are nice anyway, it’s a bit subjective 🙂 You can keep both 🙂
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Haha 🙂 Thanks!
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Hi! Wow. That last shot is my favorite. It is really so sharp and expressive. I love your tips and insights! Thanks!–Patti
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Thanks Patti, that last one is my favorite as well. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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Amazing pictures! They are so cute! My favourite is the last one, it’s a stunning close up picture about the birds.
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Thank you 🙂
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well you are so right about the “What a difference a second can make” – and even though I usually just think of this with things like swimming – you really show us that here and it was nice – the first image is my fav – with the hint of blur on the front beak – the blurriness seems to add to the tension that might accompany their squawk for food – but all three are gems – giving close ups that I never really get to see in person – 🙂
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It is a lot of squawking at this point 🙂
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oh I bet – and they just seem to love your property 🙂
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Yes, we do get several nests this time of year 🙂
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they must feel the good energy there- or they just want their pictures taken
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🙂 Either works for me 🙂
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🙂 –
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fantastic shots! Thank you for the post, I know I will never get to see it in person. 🙂
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I feel very lucky to have this unfolding right outside my window.
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Feed me!
That 1/200 to 1/250 is the average benchmark for stopping down motion at nearly any ISO.
Fab detail on that last shot. I can see how the ISO 800 helped to saturate as much colour as possible out of the blue cast of the shaded area where the nest was.
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Even that fast, I still get plenty of blurry pictures, but it does well enough that I do get some keepers.
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Too cute! My guess is 97 shots 😀
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Thanks! the actual number that morning was 250.
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oh, so cute !!!
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Thanks!
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They are cute and I think you are lucky to have their nest at your threshold, provided that they don’t wake you up. I like the middle photo best 🙂 As for how many pics you take, I’d say at least 50?
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Thanks, and they are out by the kitchen, so I get to hear them durning the day which I just think is really nice. I took 250 photos that morning 🙂
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Oh my gosh. Gorgeous photos!
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Thanks so much!
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I love all of them Amy. Just astounding how their open mouths seem as big as half their bodies. 🙂 I’m going to guess 100 photos were taken in the time frame.
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Yes, it is funny how disproportionate they are at first. It changes fast, in the photos from this morning they look a lot more like “real” robins 🙂
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What a view! Wonderful photos, and perfect for the theme!
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It’s my favorite part of Spring 🙂
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Fabulous images, and I loved reading of the process behind the capture! The sharpness is enticing, and that closeup really captures their hungry personality. But I think I like the one that shows their motion best!
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Thanks for your kind words. It’s funny, because usually pictures with blur in them are headed for the trash, but in this case help to tell a story.
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Great shots, I like the middle one the most.
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Thank you.
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Gorgeous post! ❤ I love all your shots, but maybe the last close up a little more. Beautiful post, thanks for sharing the story behind the captures.
Have a lovely weekend,
Dina & co
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Thanks, I tend to like the close-ups as well.
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My favorite is the middle one. It gives great detail of the beaks and the black spots that run all down them, without being too close up. And I also like it for its composition as well.
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Thanks for taking the time to give me that feedback, I appreciate it.
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You must have a lot of patience to get so many great shots of the robins.
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I find it to be a lot of fun, so the patience part is pretty easy 🙂
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fantastic! http://www.aloisabsenger.wordpress.com
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