Bluebirds are nesting in my yard. I checked the box

[Maestro]

and there are 4-6 eggs in the nest. Here are the proud parents.

[ConsAreLiars]

1. These are great examples for people to learn from.

Those who have been in this forum for a while know that Maestro's bird pics are way beyond just "bird pics."

They are very fine art.

Apart from step one of actually of actually getting clear photos of birds, tough enough, I invite people to examine these and see why they are so pleasing as photographs, and think about why/how/what made these images rise so far above simple "bird pics."

[Maestro]

6. I'm humbled ConsAreLiars.

Thank you so much for the wonderful comments. I have been trying to improve my avian photography.

[Mira]

12. Ditto. Thank you for not only looking like me, but you are

speaking for me today as well.

[dbmk]

2. Nr 2 is fantastic.

[TahitiNut]

3. Indeed. He's got that "depth of field" thing pretty well mastered.

Nicely shot.

[dbmk]

4. That

..and the setting is not the normal "sitting on a branch". Having another background than the blue sky gives it a setting and a story.

[Maestro]

5. Here is another I forgot to post.

I usually do not like perches that aren't natural but I make exceptions for barbed wire and old rusty posts. I like the textures present here plus the bluebird allowed a close approach.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. BEAUTIFUL!

:loveya:

[blueraven95]

7. The male is pretty

but putting aside the technical brilliance of the shot (I have no idea how you got that amazing depth of field), the female is downright beautiful. What a gorgeous bird.

[dbmk]

8. Controlling DOF

Aperture. The more open the aperture is, the shallower the DOF. (This I understand why)
Distance. The closer you are, the shallower the DOF. (This I understand why)
Focal length. The longer the focal length the shallower the DOF. (This I don't understand why. Help?)

More on that here, if you don't feint at the first sign of math. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm
This one is relatively good at explaining it simply:
http://www.photoxels.com/tutorial_dof.html

(Theres a whole host of math stuff to take into account when considering it for an actual print or downsizing the digital shot. But I have decided that I don't need to learn that for now. :) )

So put a wide open 2.8 400mm in the face of anything and you will have more dof magic than you know what to do with. :)
The second picture on the wire was taken at 420mm focal length af f/9 according to the EXIF data. Can't speak for distance. :) But at f/4 (which I assume is the maximum aperture on that lens) that dof would have been razor thin.

[blueraven95]

9. oh,

thanks - I knew that stuff, but those are helpful links! I meant more, I have no idea how Maestro managed to get that shot with that depth of field without it going wrong.

[dbmk]

10. Oh. I hope I did not come of as condescending, then.

I actually just understood why focal length affects DOF, by reading it up on it. :)
It does not really create more or less DOF. It just compresses or expands the "out of focus"-level of any given point.
What takes up 4x4 pixels and is out of focus on the 200mm, becomes 1 sharp pixel on the 50mm. More or less.

[blueraven95]

11. nope, you definitely didn't

:)


I wasn't clear, and that stuff can be really confusing if you don't know it.

[Fumesucker]

14. Razor thin DOF,...

Tell me about it, I have a hard time getting a bird's tail in focus at the same time as his head sometimes. :)

[ConsAreLiars]

13. I'll add a few words on why these images are so excellent.

First, they are not dead center in the photo. They look into it.

Second, there is nothing irrelevant. Every detail adds something to the "where?" context. Everything else has totally gone into a vague blur.

Third, the colors of the backgrounds are perfect in enhancing the colors of the subject. Totally easy to see in #1 and #2, probably #4 also, and in #3 if you see the new growth as a part of the whole (the spider strands are just an additional reality/context bonus).

[ElsewheresDaughter]

15. you are SO LUCKY!!!...

damn I love your photographs!

[JeffR]

17. I love these.

The second one especially.

[Tindalos]

18. Gorgeous!

Both the birds and your photos.

[Maestro]

19. Update. Picture of eggs in the nest

And thanks to all who have commented. The comments are most appreciated.