Birds of Florida

[troylim]

I Am Glowing...
Dare and Be Bold, go against the traditional composition once a while.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Camera Nikon D700
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/6.7
Focal Length 1000 mm
ISO Speed 500
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Return detected


Good BG is one of the elements I consider before pressing the shutter.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Camera Nikon D700
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 850 mm
ISO Speed 1250
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Return detected


And There is NO such thing as too close!!!
Love the eye!
View attachment 993218
Camera Nikon D700
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture f/10.0
Focal Length 850 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

 

[james thiel]

Troy the backgrounds here are very nice indeed. I totally agree with you. I look back on some of my first outings with birds that were shot with crappy backgrounds and now I seldom take those shots. A great subject in a bad background is still not a great shot.

 

[troylim]

Thank you.

 

[Butlerkid]

Troy,

Glad you are out shooting again! Excellent images!

We will be spending the next few days at the Venice Rookery! Our first time there!

 

[birdied]

Troy, beautiful shots and the backgrounds are wonderful!

Birdie

 

[troylim]

Troy,

Glad you are out shooting again! Excellent images!

We will be spending the next few days at the Venice Rookery! Our first time there!

How long will you be in town?
Evening is better there.

 

[gnagel]

Troy,

Glad you are out shooting again! Excellent images!

We will be spending the next few days at the Venice Rookery! Our first time there!

Karen,

Hopefully, you will have better luck at the Venice Rookery than I did. I planned a couple of days there, but after one early morning and one late afternoon with very little to show for it, I proceeded south to Fort Myers.

The problem that I had was that in the morning--when the birds are a little more front/side lit, the birds mostly left before the sun rose. In the afternoon, when the birds are more back lit, the birds didn't start coming back to the island until after the sun went down!

Also, the backgrounds weren't nearly as nice as when I visited a few years ago. They cut down all the trees behind the pond--so now you can see the housing clearly behind the island.

I hope you have much better luck. I enjoy my visit a few years ago very much--and looked forward to returning. However, I left without a single frame this time!

Glenn

 

[drr1531]

Nice set. The BG on second and third shots are awesome. Well done.

 

[Randy]

How long will you be in town?
Evening is better there.

the sun is at your back in the AM
I never stayed more than a few hrs

 

[Butlerkid]

Thanks for the advice guys!

Troy, we will be staying in Nomokis from later today (Sat) to thru Feb 8th. Any other places nearby to check out?

We will have our small inflatable boat with us....so we could also do a little boating...

We plan to visit Circle Bar B on Feb 9 and 10th....

 

[BrainOnSigs]

All are beautiful.

 

[Hopper]

Congrats on the "showcase" Troy

 

[troylim]

the sun is at your back in the AM
I never stayed more than a few hrs

Sun is behind you. But you get buildings and Powerlines as background.

 

[troylim]

Thanks for the advice guys!

Troy, we will be staying in Nomokis from later today (Sat) to thru Feb 8th. Any other places nearby to check out?

We will have our small inflatable boat with us....so we could also do a little boating...

We plan to visit Circle Bar B on Feb 9 and 10th....

Celery field is not bad but hard to get clean shots like the one I usually go for. There is always Myakka and a Oscar Scherre which has scrub jays.

 

[Louis Champan]

Terrific shots Troy, I'm partial to the GBH image. Super composition and background colors on these shots.

 

[RickW]

....we will be staying in Nomokis from later today (Sat) to thru Feb 8th. Any other places nearby to check out?

....

If you are in Nokomis, I strongly recommend that you visit the Sarasota Dump (aka Sarasota County Landfill). It is just east of I75 at Laurel Road exit. I have a home in Sarasota and when I visit, I never miss an oportunity to stop by the dump. It is on Knights Trail Road, which is just about 1/2 mile east of 75 on Laurel Rd. Left on Knights Trail and go 5 miles to the dump. Register at the visitor center and you can find out what has been seen where.

Outstanding location to shoot bald eagles, osprey, many different hawks and falcon, all manner of herons and egrets, sandhill cranes and even bluebirds. Only trick is to try and stay upwind and watch your backgrounds. Usually best to go to the section where the trucks are currently dumping their loads.

May not sound romantic, but if you want to shoot birds (especially raptors).....this is one fine place to be. Bring the longest glass you have) and be sure to look up in the trees for the HUGE eagle nest which has been there for the past 3 or 4 years at least. Often chicks are visible.

Be on the lookout for armadillo as well. They are great subjects. Slow and easy to photograph. Positivley prehistoric looking.

 

[RickW]

FYI re: the Sarasota Dump.

http://www.scgov.net/NaturalLands/documents/pinelands_checklist.pdf

And one more thing - make sure you watch the clock. They lock the gates at 5pm sharp and if you are not out, you have a problem.

4 years ago, my wife and I were so distracted by the birds and the fact that at 5pm the sun is still brightly shining that we got to the gate at about 5:15. Called the County Sheriff and I can tell you that the deptuties did not exactly break a sweat rushing over to unchain the gate for some "dumb snowbirds" , especially ones with NY license plates. We were there for quite some time.

 

[cankon]

Excellent portraits.

 

[tuthill]

You're lucky to be able to consider the background before shooting. Around here if you can get close enough to a great blue to even get a shot you take it as they seem to be skittish here in the north.

 

[Butlerkid]

Thanks, RickW. A guy at the Rookery this morning told me that they had significantly restricted access to the dump. We may stop by anyway just to check it out. since we are staying on Laurel Rd!