Birds up close - take off & landing

Good evening. I'm new here, first post so please bear with me. I have a pentax K20 and I very much enjoy trying to get decent pics of my local Blue Jays while on my deck. I put out peanuts and try to photograph them as they land and take off. A full wing spread is very nice when in focus. The problem I have is that I'm only about 6-8 ft away and I can't focus fast enough to get a clear shot. I've tried using my Sigma 50-500 tripod mounted but can't swivel it quick enough. I've tried my Sigma 70-300 but the fied of view id so small I usually just get the tail shots. And I've tried my Sigma 105 with the same results. My best luck has been with the kit lens 18-55 Pentax but it's still not fast enough. Given the short distance I don't have much time to follow the bird.

Can anyone recommend a quicker lens or tecnique? This has now become personal between me and the Blue Jays!!!

Thanks All.

Mike

Hey Mike!

You can try and pre-focus where you think they will land or takeoff maybe somewhere near the peanuts (put your lens in manual focus mode). Some years back before I spent a gazillion dollars on gear I did this with some success. Heck, easy enough to delete those that are out of focus.

Good luck and stick with it!!!!
....and welcome to NSN!!

You can go about this a number of ways:

flash as main light source, false BG, prefocused, stopped down to f16, 60mm macro

Prefocused, wide open, natural light, 500mm, prefocused

George could you please explain what BG is? Don't mean to sound to inept here. Your shots are exactly what I'm trying to do. I might get 1 in 100 that clear which I know is definitely more luck than skill. By the way, I took up this hobby a few years ago as a pre-retirement activity (I retire in January)...thought it would be relaxing! Actually I love it, already spent the kids inheritance on gear.

Very nice stuff Scott!!!

Thanks, George!

Mike: let me know if you would like me to elaborate on either of the set-ups.

Scott

Scott...forgive me, I called you George....not paying close enough attention, I was still studying the pics...Mike

BG= Back Ground

I was afraid you folks would say 'back ground'.....that's what my wife said...so now she's soooo much smarter than me! Scott, could you please explain 'wide open'?

Sure, Mike, I meant that the lens was shot at it's maximum aperture (f4) so as to let the most light in as possible.

As for the false BG shot, the bird, sumac branch and the bit of sumac leaves on the left are all real. The out-of-focus background (OOF BG) is actually a big 36"X24" print out of a reall BG that I shot of the same tree from which I took the branches. The purpose of this approach is that when you use flash as your only source of light the natural BG is too far away to receive light from the flashes, so the BG goes black. So, to avoid this, I use the same technique that is commonly used by hummingbird photographers with their multi-flash set-ups

I was just looking for info on how to attach an image to give you an idea of what I've done so far. Can't seem to find it in the FAQ? Scott I see your in Quebec...I'm in Ottawa, we're almost neighbours.

I'm not sure you can host an image if you are not a paid member, but i think you can still hotlink the image if you already have it posted somewhere else like Photobucket or wherever. Instead of typing your reply on the bottom of the page in teh "quick reply" box, click on "post reply" button higher up on the page. This will open a page that gives you more options for your reply.

Thanks Scott, I may just have to get out my credit card. This site is fantastic. I have to run but will check in tomorrow. I have a few more questions if you don't mind. Some things you just can't get from reading camera manuals!

Great, I'd be glad to help... maybe Greg can give me a cut off that new membership! (kidding....)

But, while you've got your credit card out, why not check out a subscription to home-grown Outdoor Photography Canada? It's published out of Brampton and I talk about stuff like this every issue in my column called Warblings.

www.outdoorphotographycanada.com

Mike, the second option that Scott lists is far easier to do for most people starting out in bird photography. You don't need a flash or macro lens, you can use your longest available lens, and you can use natural light. Pre-focusing is a critical tool in most of wildlife photography and many other aspects of photography, and one trick you can do if you have help nearby (ie, if you're in your backyard and your wife is handy) is to have her hold her hand up in the spot where you want the bird to be 'flying' as it comes in to land or as it takes off, focus on the hand using your autofocus, then turn off your autofocus and sit and wait. Be sure to start shooting BEFORE the bird gets to the place you want it to be, and at least one of your shots should be of the bird flying through your pre-focused spot (if you chose your spot correctly). Works well for bluebirds, jays, and just about anything that moves in a somewhat predictable pattern.

Like Scott said, shoot 'wide open', at f4 or f5.6 or whatever the widest aperture your lens and camera will allow in order to maximize your shutter speeds. Also be sure to have your ISO pumped up fairly high (400-800) to again maximize your shutter speeds. Ideally 1/1200th of a second or even faster to capture most birds in flight.

well now I have a few new things to try. Thanks everyone. Note to Scott....I got a 2 yr subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada....sure can't beat the price compared to the newstand.

Scott, the first blue jay landing shot is amazing!

Thanks, George and Joe!

Mike: Good decision, I think you will enjoy the magazine!

Scott had the cover shot for OP Canada this past summer. It was a Great Blue Heron with a Northern Pike (I believe) in its mouth. The Pike had its mouth open. Wonderful shot. I had to look all over Atlanta to find the magazine and bought it. Scott also had an article in it with many of his photos. It was outstanding. And then he had his column. That issue should have been called the "Scott Linstead issue".

DonS wrote:Scott had the cover shot for OP Canada this past summer. It was a Great Blue Heron with a Northern Pike (I believe) in its mouth. The Pike had its mouth open. Wonderful shot. I had to look all over Atlanta to find the magazine and bought it. Scott also had an article in it with many of his photos. It was outstanding. And then he had his column. That issue should have been called the "Scott Linstead issue".

Thanks for the kind words, Don! I am grateful to have been assigned that position with OPC. It's a labor of love and I really believe in the magazine as a competitive N. American publication.