Bird Photography - SMOOTH Backgrounds DEMONSTRATED In The Field - How To Get Blurry Backgrounds

[@returntoharmony2727]

Every single video tutorial by you Duade is great. I am so appreciative for all you are sharing.

[@Duade]

G'day, it is my pleasure, I am glad you have found them helpful. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@RA-vs4cy]

Finally a video for bird photographers who still can't figure out how to adjust all the setting to get that blurry background all the time and not get frustrated when it's not working out when out in the field. And also showing the difference between a smaller lens and a bigger lens and still getting the same smooth background. Thanks you much and keep posting videos!.

[@Duade]

G'day Rolando, thank you for your comment, I'm glad you found it helpful. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@unclebuck5957]

This was a great video explaining out of focus backgrounds ,great shots

[@Duade]

Thanks Buck, glad you enjoyed it, Cheers, Duade

[@timpriestley8997]

Your videos are brilliant, well explained, great detail and love how you show RAW and processed files with the overlay - Thanks very much

[@Duade]

Thanks Tim, I appreciate it, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@tvang2]

I love you presentations. full of useful details with clear explanations and footage about what you're doing and the reasons why it is important. Keep up your informative presentations. Greatly appreciate your efforts.

[@Duade]

G'day Tus, thank you for your comment, I appreciate the feedback.👍

[@koolshri]

Great presentation Duade...thanks for the tips...👍

[@Duade]

Hi Shrinivas, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade

[@81wwwolf]

I appreciate the work you put into these videos. You explain the ideas clearly and demonstrate them really well. Spot on!

[@Duade]

G'day Mansour, I appreciate the feedback, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@PovRayMan]

I really love the way you show the RAW file and then transition into the crop + post processing.

[@Duade]

Thanks, I will continue to show the process when I can. Cheers, Duade

[@nikonnorm]

Well done Duade, another very enjoyable and instructive video. If only we could experience the same weather and light conditions in the UK!!

[@Duade]

G'day Norman, yes we are fortunate to have many sunny days here in Australia. Mind you overcast conditions would make filming a lot easier.😀 Cheers, Duade👍

[@Gallefrey14]

Thanks Duade for another excellent presentation, very helpful and informative...

[@Duade]

G'day Jan, you are more than welcome. Cheers, Duade

[@farhatafza2739]

Love the way how to tell these Thanks Duade

[@Duade]

G'day Farhat, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade

[@66696sagar]

Hi Duade, Hooded Robin was my favourite! Fabulous shots, many thanks for the tips.

[@Duade]

Hi Sagar, thank you very much for your comment, I too love the Hooded Robin. Cheers, Duade

[@jvusa]

Excellent information, pics Duade....Thank you

[@Duade]

G'day Jayalal, you are welcome, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@quiquealfaro5476]

i am loving your videos, it is great that you show us the RAW files. Thumbsup, really nice work!!!

[@Duade]

G'day Quique, thank you for your comment, I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. Cheers, Duade

[@knackers8094]

Fantastic, and thanks for including the RAW un-cropped files! Great to see original captures to final image.

[@Duade]

G'day Knackers, no problem at all, I think it helps to show how I cropped and edited the images. Cheers, Duade

[@brandyrainwater2548]

Absolutely love how you overlay the crop & adjustment layer view over the raw file! Great tutorial!

[@Duade]

G'day Brandy, I'm glad you find it useful, I am happy to share how I crop and edit my images.👍

[@bdssoaz]

Hello Duade, Thank you for the great tips! Wow! Amazing shots!👍 Cheers from Portugal!

[@Duade]

G'day Bruno, thanks for the feedback, Cheers from Australia 👍

[@bdssoaz]

@@Duade what do you think of micro four thirds for bird photography? I own a full frame camera, but I don't have and at this moment I can't afford a FF telephoto lens. But I do have a 75-300mm lens (150-600mm FF equiv.) and a E-M10 II, so I was thinking about giving it a try...any tips on using this for birding? Thanks in advance.

[@ruthmeyer5415]

You may have inspired me to actually try again to understand the manual settings on my camera. I tried taking a college class, and just couldn't wrap my head around stops and aperture, etc. I am also starting to see how valuable it is to have clear images in your mind of what kind of bird pose/setting/composition you want, and then doing what it takes to make that dream a reality. Thank you for these great tutorials! Even though I don't have all the equipment, advice like this can be used to a degree with almost any camera you have available to you. Knowing your equipment, and getting the best out of it is so important, regardless of what you have to work with.

[@Duade]

G'day Ruth, thanks for your comment, yes exposure and manual can be very confusing. If you haven't seen it, you might find my settings video helpful kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4CTiJ2YrN-cqLM Yes having an idea of what you are trying to capture can help for sure. Sometimes putting your camera into video mode and watching how the settings change the histogram or brightness can be helpful to see how the settings impact exposure. Cheers, Duade

[@louiseingram22]

Thank you! Really well done videos - clear explanations and great production - a joy to watch :)

[@Duade]

G'day Louise, you are more than welcome. Cheers, Duade👍

[@jan_wegener]

Great work mate. Nice video and good tips

[@Duade]

Thanks mate, learnt plenty of them from you. 👍

[@mykelphotography]

Another fabulous video Duade, really like your presentation style, thanks again for a great entertaining video.

[@Duade]

G'day Mick, you are more than welcome, thanks for the comment. Cheers, Duade

[@asifalam223]

I'm definitely like your skills to catch this amazing Bird and managed to take marvelous shot... Excellent 👌

[@Duade]

G'day Asif, thanks for your comment 👍

[@MAKE_PHOTOGRAPHS_ANYWHERE]

Duade, nice demonstration on background blurring.

[@Duade]

G'day Stafford, thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Duade

[@jiffijoff9780]

You guys are so blessed with that beautiful country - wonderful. Thanks for the explanation 👍 btw, excellent b-roll 👌

[@Duade]

G'day Jiffi, yes we are very lucky, so many different birds and habitats. Thanks for the comment, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@peteremerson4150]

Thanks for the informative tips. Cheers Peter

[@Duade]

G'day Peter, you are more than welcome. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@artsie8282]

Wonderful stellar content!

[@Duade]

Thanks Deborah, I am glad to hear you have found it helpful, Cheers, Duade

[@mustafakasapoglu]

Thanks for your efforts and work!.. It was really helpful!.. I hope to learn more of your experiences on looking at histogram and how to decide the aperture. Or the other way around, how to know the best histogram values. Thank you again!.

[@Duade]

Thanks Mustafa, thanks for your comment, I will be sure to do a video on exposure and histograms in the future. Cheers, Duade

[@martincregg]

Pretty fundamental, but very very helpful. Excellently explained.

[@Duade]

G'day Martin, thanks for the comment, yes once you get the fundamentals down you can really focus on capturing nice images. Cheers, Duade

[@jasonclark950]

I have been having a lot of fun over the last two weeks with my 7d and new canon 400mm f5.6! Thanks very much for your informative videos. Cheers

[@Duade]

G'day Jason, that is great to hear, such an awesome pairing, I had so much fun with mine and I captured thousands of images. Happy birding, Cheers, Duade

[@chamilton9182]

Ok, Yoda :) Great video with so much useful information. Just found your channel. I'm so happy. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such an honest and straight forward way (showing the raw vs. post images) I respect your transparency. Keep 'em coming..... I'm just getting into this hobby (not easy:) God Bless!!

[@Duade]

G'day and thanks for the comment, I am happy you are finding the videos useful, I plan to do plenty more in the future. Cheers, Duade

[@NG-xg8ez]

Wonderful work 👍... great effort and demonstration...

[@Duade]

Thank you, Cheers, Duade👍

[@ThomMeter]

Really amazing way to explain what you are doing! Looking forward to see more :)

[@Duade]

Thanks Thom, I am happy to help, Cheers, Duade

[@brendamilstein1062]

Thanks for this video 1st time Ive heard how to use manual mode so well and what and how to set exposure. Will be experimenting in the future thats for sure

[@Duade]

G'day Brenda, I'm glad you found it useful. Good luck, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@ChrisPattonPhotography]

Really enjoyed your vlog with some lovely shots

[@Duade]

Thanks Chris, I appreciate the feedback, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@vimalneha]

Very good snaps and practical advice. Some habitat i find better. Always good content.

[@Duade]

G'day Vimal, thanks for the comment. Cheers, Duade

[@alexandraacreator-art]

Lovely photos! Actually Jacky Winter, the 4th one entangled in the branches was very cool. Very artistic. i would paint something like that, more contrast.

[@Duade]

G'day Alexandra, thank you for your comment, it is always interesting to hear what people like. Cheers, Duade👍

[@michellestewart7494]

Wonderful...thank you!.

[@Duade]

G'day Michelle, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@koolkutz7]

Thanks for sharing Duade, great camera technique and editing. My favourite image was of the 2 Jacky Winter's on the rock :-)

[@Duade]

Thanks Steve, yes I like the Jacky Winter shot also. Thanks for the comment, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@catherinetremerryn]

Recently discovered yr channel thru lockdown and have learnt such a lot. Garden rearranged and UK eucalyptus tree in position!, birds bribed, Wd yr setting change a lot using Olympus micro four thirds? I find I’m just not fast enough to shoot in manual yet.. what wd yr ideal shutter speed be for, eg, a Robin? Many thx for all yr hep

[@Duade]

Hi Catherine, I believe your camera has good IBIS which will help with lower SS, but I would be trying to use over 1/400 if you can. Of course it all depends on how much light is available. Maybe play around with your SS and see if you are getting any blurry shots. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@mistergeorgie]

Thanks! (My first time here..). I’m a humble amateur, using various cameras.. the best of which is Sony A7iii; I have a Canon 70-200mm f4 with a Sigma adaptor. I also have a Sigma which reaches 300mm, using the same adaptor. During the lockdown, I’ve been taking photos of flowers (using the same principles of isolating the subject and using a low aperture). Your relaxed, clear and very pleasant introduction to blurry backgrounds when photographing birds is going to stimulate me to venture out with my Sony A7 combo. I’m in the North West of England... a very different proposition (I think) from the environment you’re working in, but we’ll see. Thank you. SUBSCRIBED

[@Duade]

G'day Georgie, thank you for taking the time to write your detailed comment, glad to hear you are enjoying photography. I would like to photograph more flowers, bugs etc. Good luck with the birds. Cheers, Duade👍

[@BuscandoFauna]

Excellent channel. I love birds and photography, so you have a new subscriber in Buenos Aires. Best regards.

[@Duade]

G'day Buscando, thanks for the sub. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@mickfromcork]

Just adoring your tips, definitely bringing my photos to a higher level. Thanks a lot 👍

[@Duade]

Thanks for the continued support Mick, Cheers, Duade

[@chrismartin7594]

Very good vid. Very easy to understand 👍

[@Duade]

G'day Chris, I'm glad you found it helpful, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@daviddowling9830]

From the States,good on ya cobber,bonza show.

[@Duade]

G'day Mate, dead set, loved the comment.😀

[@daztography1]

Great video Duade. Very informative....oh to have a 500mm...lots of lens envy here. Haha

[@Duade]

Thanks Darren, I was in envy for 4 years before I got mine. Cheers, Duade👍

[@JPLamoureuxsTravels]

Awesome video buddy! Glad I found your channel, using similar kit so I’ll be looking through your vids! Have a new sub and all the best JP

[@Duade]

G'day JP, I'm glad you found the channel and great to hear you have similar kit. Thanks for the sub, Cheers, Duade

[@metombergman3108]

Fantastic presentation/tutorial. I've been trying to get that sought after blurry background with limited success because I didn't sufficiently take into consideration shooting angle -- I just blamed my gear!

[@Duade]

G'day Metom, thanks for the comment, I'm glad you found the video helpful. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@friintalan7881]

Duade, any tips on how to get the best backrounds while shooting birds if you live on an urban settings and by means of urban, more house and fewer trees but lots of birds. I really hope you can make a video of that! 🤩🤘

[@Duade]

G'day, yes urban areas do make it tricky that is for sure. If you have birds coming to water or food you could possibly create your own background with a spray painted sheet or similar. Otherwise it is a matter of trying to find a solid coloured background like a tree, shrub or even a brick wall. If there is enough distance from the bird to the background you will be surprised with what you can achieve. Good luck. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@friintalan7881]

@@Duade Thanks! Will try one of these tips! Keep us inspired and more power! 🤩🤘

[@Top_Shots_Photography]

Really useful video, thanks form the UK

[@Duade]

You are more than welcome. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@akareject]

In America, it is frowned upon to bait birds with worms or other live food. Do you have suggestions how to get those great shots without bait? Is it just find a spot and wait and hope to get lucky? Love the videos and appreciate all of the helpful insight as I begin my hobby in bird photography.

[@Duade]

G'day and thanks for your comment, water via a birdbath is an excellent way to attract birds out of the trees. Also finding birds that frequent low shrubs or feed on the ground is another option. Good luck, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@hilarylanglois734]

Your music intro got me good may I know what is it please ? Very nice video I'm checking all of them since they're are very useful and full of knowledge :) thank's a lot from Canada

[@Duade]

G'day Hilary, thanks for the comment, music is in the description of the video, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@lauriehwrdlh]

That looks really easy on the video. But how do we get to a point in the wild where birds are that close on a predetermined photo spot, like the rock face you used? Is it a matter a picking something likely to be used by the birds and waiting..... then possibly going home without a shot?

[@Duade]

G'day, you make a very valid point and I understand how difficult it can be to attract wild birds. You are right, some birds will visit the same locations over and over, if you find a spot that is suitable you can wait. Some birds will take mealworms, some will come to water. Some birds are used to people and some are not. Sometimes it comes down to which species are easy to photograph and focusing on them. Some birds are just very difficult and often require a lot of luck. I think understanding the fundamentals of how to achieve a certain image will allow you to spot it in the field and you can use that to your advantage. Good luck.

[@ravidevre4997]

Hey mate, I hope you are well. Great photos and I enjoy watching your channel. Could you please throw some light on using crop sensor camera for birding? In most of your videos I have seen you using FF camera. Thanks mate

[@Duade]

G'day Ravi be sure to check out my video on focal lengths where I talk about crop bodies kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWW1koWBrLOcjKc Basically they are great for birding as they give you more reach, they just have a bit more noise than FF. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@ravidevre4997]

Good day mate!! Appreciate your reply.

[@oldchannel3882]

i was wondering what you used to attract the robins?

[@Duade]

G'day, I use mealworms to attract the Robins. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@oldchannel3882]

thanks🙂

[@PhotographerSen]

The review of 400mm was very informative and practical for us beginner birders. I'd like to see a review of the 500mm as well, as there are very few numbers of 500mm reviews (both of Canon and Nikon) on youtube.

[@Duade]

G'day Arghyadip, thanks for your comment, I am glad you found the review helpful. I will be sure to do a review sometime in the future. Cheers, Duade

[@UkraineEnigma]

Nice video!

[@Duade]

Thank you, Cheers, Duade

[@tanglewoodnz]

You expose to the right but what happens if the bird, say a coot, has white fo tells on it? I have a 5D Mark 3 and am not able to use exposure compensation in Manual with auto ISO which you recommend? Really enjoy your videos!!

[@Duade]

Hi Mike, it can be a real challenge photographing black and white birds. I expose to the right for the whites, so I would try not to blow the bill. I don't know why the 5d3 has that limitation, it is a pain. You could try shooting in AV mode where you set the Aperture and ISO and the camera chooses the SS, you can use exposure compensation in this mode. Good luck, Cheers, Duade

[@mesandsim]

Duade, g'day! Firstly, thank you so much for the brilliant videos, the excellent tutorials and presentation and of course most of all the wonderful photography. I have a question please. When shooting with the 400 F5.6 I'm wondering why you'd shoot at F7.1 / F8 rather than going all the way out to F5.6 to blur the background more. Is it a stylistic choice? Is the lens sharper at those apertures? I've always gone all the way to F5.6 when shooting at 400mm to maximise the background blur but now I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing? Cheers mate.

[@Duade]

Paul and Simone, I find lenses are sharpest stopped down so f7.1-8 will be the sweet spot for that lens, and the closer you get the narrower your DOF so having f8 ensures the entire bird is sharp. Now if the bird is further away then you could use 5.6 or 6.3 to make the bg a little more OOF and the DOF won't be as big an issue. Perhaps take a few test shots of a stationary object at the different apertures and see if you can see any sharpness difference. I guess the good thing about this lens is it is still pretty sharp wide open which is a bonus. Cheers, Duade

[@mesandsim]

@@Duade you legend. Thank you mate. Appreciate the thorough reply. I will have a play around and see, but I think distance is probably my issue. I need to get closer! Have a good one fella. Paul.

[@Duade]

@@mesandsim My pleasure :-)

[@scalaacom]

I’m only new to this but it blows my mind that you set up, then draw birds in with food or water! I’ve been stumbling around in the bush trying not only just find birds, but then find them in a good position for photography. I do wonder though, how often do you put food out and only attract ants, or yet another crow?

[@Duade]

G'day, yes it's tough and only certain species will be attracted to mealworms. Water can take weeks to work. Sometimes you can find natural drinking spots in the bush, then wait for it to dry out and take water yourself. Or even having a birdbath in your backyard. I would say it's very difficult to just walk into the bush and make it happen straight away. Also trying to find birds that may already be used to humans such as in parks are much easier to photograph than truly wild birds. I can't get close to the Magpies on my property yet I can hand feed ones in town. Good luck and have fun with your birding. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@ellengoddard5647]

what did you put on the rock to attract the birds?

[@Duade]

G'day Ellen, I use mealworms to attract the Robins. Cheers, Duade

[@russellwebb3672]

Hi, Learning a lot from your videos thankyou but as always there is a question/s coming!! I have the 7D MK II with the the 400mm F5.6 lens and the image quality once I shoot over around 1000 ISO is not really acceptable for the noise the camera produces (very dissapoited on that score with that camera) however soon to own the 5D MK IV and from what I have read a better ISO performance all round. Anyway the questions, I note you must have used an extender on the Hooded Robin around the 7:45 mark but the info says 700mm (1.4 = 560 approx and the 2.0 would be 800mm?) if you did use an extender what version please as I have the 1.4 MK II versin also do you micro adjust your lens? Cannot afford the 500mm but looking at the Sigma 150-600mm C to get extra reach but cannot make my mind up with that or upgrade the extender to a MK III and use the 400mm (560mm approx with extender). sorry about the long read. Thankyou, Russ.

[@Duade]

G'day Russ, thanks for your comment. Glad to hear you have the 400 5.6, a great lens. That 700mm is an error on my part, it should have said 400 as I did not use any extenders with the 400. The 700 refers to the 500 with the 1.4ext III. Yes the 7D series did have noise issues above ISO800 unfortunately. The 5d4 is a significant improvement re noise. It might be worth downloading a trial of Topaz Denoise and trying that out on some of your images, it really is very effective at reducing noise. I did a review here kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKarkoOkbql1jqc Unfortunately, I have not used the Sigma lens so I cannot comment on its quality and speed, I hope to get hold of one someday to test. The 400 5.6 will take a converter but it does slow down autofocus and it makes it an f8 lens which would then be sharpest around f9/10 which requires a lot of light. You can try out your extender to see how it works, I am unsure if the mark 3 will be a big improvement as it is more designed for the latest lenses from my understanding. Sorry I cannot be more help re what lens to purchase. Cheers, Duade

[@russellwebb3672]

@@Duade OK many thanks. Thanks also for the Topaz advice and not to be funny but I already use it but would rather not have need to do so on so small ISO values like 1600 upwards in todays market think that is a small number.

[@russellwebb3672]

@@jerryinsc Yes, I have Denoise, Adjust, Sharpen, Mask all AI versions alongside Studio 2 but as I stated above with the tech available now in cameras to go above in some cases 3200 without noise just think time to move on from the 7D MK II that to me was a disapointment and requires more PP than should be needed even with the magic of AI.

[@seminolecapt]

I have the Canon 7D MkII and both the Sigma 150-600mm C and the Canon 100-400mm II with a 1.4 III extender. The Sigma lens is fine to 500mm but gets noticeably soft at 600mm. The Canon combo is sharper and has quicker autofocus and gives me an effective reach of 896mm with the cropped sensor, which I can back off of if need be. The downsides are the lowest ISO is f/8 and only center plus 4 helper focus points are available. However, as you can see from this video, f/8 is usually fine and it is only 2/3 of a stop less than the Sigma at 600mm (f/6.3). Also back button focus and repositioning have worked well for me with center point only focusing. I virtually never use the Sigma lens now since I find the performance of the Canon combo to be far superior.

[@clixofnature1677]

Hello Duade, would you be kind enough to tell me the description of your lovely camera bag. or post a link so I can figure it out. Based on what you have in it.....I think it would be perfect to hold my stuff. Absolutely another great video here. Keep up the great work. Awesome. Cheers.

[@Duade]

G'day, I currently use a Think Tank Photo Airport Commuter Backpack geni.us/5cu7NQ I have had it for a number of years and fits my 500 which is great. Cheers, Duade

[@carlsimpson6197]

Did you put food out to get all those birds to land on the pre-arranged spot? Lovely photos!

[@Duade]

Thanks Carl, yes, I used live mealworms to attract the Robins. Cheers, Duade

[@redzone8618]

at the moment i have a 100-400 mark 1, but i think i am gonna buy the sigma 150-600 contemporary i need more focal length for birds that are wary not sure if its better than the mark 1

[@Duade]

G'day, the Sigma is great on a DSLR but has issues on mirrorless bodies, Cheers, Duade

[@redzone8618]

@@Duade thanks duade but my question is the sigma contemporary is better than the 100-400 version 1

[@Duade]

Yes, the Sigma 150-600C is an improvement on the 100-400 v1 on a DSLR, Cheers, Duade

[@redzone8618]

@@Duade thank u i subscribed to ur account. keep up the good work. cheers from malta :)

[@wolfgangkiesewetter1492]

Great photographs and good presentation. How did you lead the birds to the prefered position? I guess it was a kind of bird food

[@Duade]

G'day Wolfgang, yes I use mealworms with the Robins, there is a short piece of video showing me put them out. Cheers, Duade👍

[@BillB719]

I truly enjoy your tutorials and they have significantly improved my photos. You mention mealworms to attract birds. Do you use live mealworms, dried, dried that have been soaked in water overnight, or? Thank you for the quality, entertaining and informative videos!

[@Duade]

G'day Bill, I breed live worms for my Chickens and the birds also love them. You can buy live worms in the pet store here. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@jss27560]

One pronblem I have is that while shooting I do not think of changing the settings. It’s especially bad when I’m shooting one thing like flowers and then decide to do birds at the same time. Also how do you feel about setting the apature & shutter speed and let the camera change the ISO?

[@Duade]

G'day Jeffrey, yes I too sometimes forget to change settings in the heat of the moment. I have shot AV where I set the ISO and Aperture and let the camera set the SS but I like to know what my ISO setting is as if it's too high it can reduce the quality of the image. The other issue is sometimes the camera gets fooled and the meter gets the exposure wrong. Therefore I try and shoot manual so I can control these things. I am planning on doing a video about this very topic soon so stay tuned. Cheers, Duade

[@Vacublaster1]

Nice video Duade, I wondered if you manually focus or use auto-focus in these situations? The reason I ask is because I use both the 1.4 and the 2.0 times converters and try as I might, I cannot get sharp shots. It would be easy to blame the multipliers but, they can't both be faulty and I'd like to use them more but they never come out of the bag any more. Any tips?

[@Duade]

G'day, the 1.4 extender works well on the 500 f/4 as it makes it a 700 f/5.6 and does not slow down autofocus that much. If you use a 100-400 on a 5d4 then only the 1.4 version 3 will work well, I don't believe the 2x will even focus through the viewfinder. I have used my 1.4 on my 400 5.6 but it slows it down a lot. I think you can focus at f/11 to get the sharpest shots but the viewfinder maybe dark and you would need a lot of light. Sorry to hear you are having issues. Cheers, Duade

[@blayral]

How often do you use bait for birds ?

[@Duade]

Not very often, I use meal worms I breed for my chickens for the local robins. There are a number of ethical considerations in feeding wild birds and I am no authority on the matter and I encourage you do your own research on this topic. I fine water in hot climates to be much more effective at attracting birds. Cheers, Duade

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Very helpful Tnx, by the way given that you expose to the right the raw files you showed where straight from the camera or after you brought down the highlights. In general what kind of post-processing adjustment you do given that you exposed to the right?

[@Duade]

Gday Dimitris, the Raw files have had no adjustments, i do my adjustments in Lightroom then Photoshop. I try to expose to the right but if the bird has white on it I expose for the whites. Cheers, Duade.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

@@Duade Tnx, I've watched your other videos in post-processing but maybe in a future video you can show us a bit more of how your deal with ETR shots in Lr and/or Ps. Carry on the good work

[@Duade]

@@dimitristsagdis7340 Hi Dimitris, are you meaning dealing with bright highlights on the bird or perch, like blown white feathers?

[@rayansattarkhan6807]

Does a larger focal length like 300/400mm creates the same background blur or bokeh at f5.6 as a lower focal length like 35/50/80mm at f1.8 does?

[@Duade]

G'day Rayan, my understanding is the longer the focal length the narrower the field of view which pulls in the background which leads to better bokeh. The other big factor is how close you are to the subject as this narrows the depth of field and makes the background more out of focus. You can get very nice bokeh at 5.6 with a long lens which looks a lot like 1.8 on a shorter lens. I hope that helps, Cheers, Duade

[@rayansattarkhan6807]

@@Duade thank you Duade for your time, it is helpful.

[@chickey333]

I've been getting some pretty good birdy stills with that 70-300mm Canon kit lens that gets a lot of lousy reviews. Being new to the photo game I can't wait to see my results using one of your types of zoom lenses.... or both. This stuff is so addicting.

[@Duade]

G'day, that is great to hear. I have not tried that lens. I might need to try and get one. Have fun, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@chickey333]

@@Duade Thank you for your reply! I would probably watch a couple KZbin reviews before I bought one. It's not highly thought of however the price is pretty cheap. Thanks again.

[@Duade]

@@chickey333 G'day, no problem, I probably wasn't clear, I would just like to test it so I can give a better opinion to people who are looking at it, not buy one. Hopefully one day I get the chance. Cheers, Duade

[@chickey333]

@@Duade And thank you again. I'm currently watching your "How to focus in Landscape" because landscapes and birds tend to go together. This focus stacking is something I have to look into. I'm finding out that taking decent photos of trees, woods and forests isn't as easy as I thought it was. It's a lot of fun thought and thanks again for your videos.

[@marilynzanca7712]

Hi Duade, Just wondering do you know the name of a certain bird. there a long white bird, with long black legs and a white feathers and slender neck very skinny tall bird. I thought that they were called great edgrets but that might not be the name because ibird Australia I couldn't find it in the list. do you have any ideas what they might be called?

[@Duade]

Gday Marilyn, you are correct, they are called Great Egrets, the Ebird page is here ebird.org/species/greegr3?siteLanguage=en_AU and my photo gallery of them is here www.photos.duadepaton.com/Birds/Herons-Egrets-and-Bitterns/Great-Egret/ Cheers, Duade

[@marilynzanca7712]

I'm still learning how to use ebird. Is there any Great Egrets at burrendong dam Nsw?

[@Duade]

They should be there, they turn up in most lakes and dams. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@marilynzanca7712]

@@Duade Cool Thanks for that. Bless you heaps. mal

[@williamcinco2489]

Nice video..

[@Duade]

G'day William, thank you for the comment. Cheers, Duade

[@Jack14432]

Hi mate, why not lower ISO?

[@Duade]

I tend to prefer higher SS over lower ISO as modern cameras handle ISO well and at low SS you get many more soft shots. In saying that it is always a balance and now I'm testing the R7 crop sensor I am using slightly lower ISO and SS. Cheers, Duade

[@Jack14432]

@@Duade Thanks for your reply do appreciate your work.

[@fergusosullivan9594]

Hi Duade, I'm waiting on Panasonic Lumix FZ330 to arrive in the next few days, while I know you may not be familiar with every camera this has a 25-600mm range and the lowest F stop is 2.8 do you think I'll be ok for birding and out of focus shots, I'm a complete beginner and love all of your videos. Keep up the good work. Regards Fergus

[@Duade]

G'day Fergus, congrats on the new camera, I have not used that camera however if you follow the tips and techniques I talk about, I'm sure you will get some lovely shots. Good luck and happy birding.👍

[@fergusosullivan9594]

Hi Duade, my camrea arrived very happy with it, got a fab pic of a bluetit nesting at my front door with food in her mouhth for her babies, just makes it all worth while.

[@Duade]

G'day Fergus, that is great to hear, have fun with the new camera. 👍

[@CelotehWildlife]

It's Perfect

[@Duade]

Thank you👍

[@elmerfudd5650]

How do you get so many different birds to land right where your camera is pointing?

[@Duade]

G'day Mr Fudd, I mainly use water as a way to attract birds, in this video I used mealworms to attract the Robins. Cheers, Duade

[@elmerfudd5650]

Thank you :-) I wonder what wood peckers like? I've got a project now. Thank you for sharing your shooting skills :-)

[@Duade]

We don't have any here, but I remember seeing someone using peanut butter or similar for some birds. Good luck.

[@elmerfudd5650]

@@Duade Thanks, I'll try that. It's been a few years ago, and I haven't tried it yet, but, I saw that you can get really good shots of attacking hawks with their claws out aiming for the camera. They set up remote camera control to a camera mounted on a pole with a fake owl ! Haha! That may be one you may be interested in. It's on my list as well as your photo tips. Thank you

[@Zx30]

For the Mealworms, are they live meal worms or dried dead ones in a bag? Thanks in advance sir!

[@Duade]

Alberto, they are live mealworms, you can get them from most pet stores, I breed my own for my chickens. Cheers, Duade

[@Zx30]

@@Duade Thanks sir! You rock!

[@bobkrouse8822]

Do you use Auto ISO?

[@Duade]

G’day Bob, not at the moment. I plan on doing some videos on exposure and shooting modes in the future.👍

[@bobkrouse8822]

@@Duade Thanks for the reply! I know Auto ISO doesn't cover all the bases, but being in the outdoors and shooting birds and animal in fluctuation lighting it sure saves me from fiddling with a knob to get the right ISO and miss a shot. I shoot manual and set my shutter and aperture letting the camera do the rest. Just my experience. Thanks again!! Love your videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Duade]

@@bobkrouse8822 G'day Bob, yes those conditions can be very hard to constantly check your exposure, we are lucky to have cameras that give us all these options. Take care and happy birding. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@JuanLopez-oz9kh]

I am always shooting -1/3, afraid of blowing the highlights, is wildlife different and portrait?

[@Duade]

G'day Juan, if shooting in AV mode using negative exposure compensation is often required to stop the whites clipping. Ultimately it doesn't matter what settings you use, as long as the whites aren't blowing and you expose to the right. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@marilynzanca7712]

trying to see if they are in my area?

[@Duade]

Hi Marilyn, I'm not sure which field guide you are using but The Australian Bird Guide is one of the best. Cheers, Duade

[@marilynzanca7712]

@@Duade Thanks. Was looking at ebird, Australia is that the one you use?

[@Duade]

Hi Marilyn, I have them all and that is the one I reference the most. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@upendrawerake5991]

Hi Duade, great video, I was just wondering what tripod model you use?

[@Duade]

Hi Upendra, I currently use a Benro tripod, it is well used now and the legs are a bit stiff but it has served me well. Here is a link to the Amazon listing. Benro CF Tripod (C373T) geni.us/c0RMABZ Cheers, Duade👍

[@XanderMarjoram]

Hey Duade, love the clarity of your videos. Random question from the UK: do you wear wellies in case you want to go into water or is it to protect from snakes/insects?

[@Duade]

G'day Xander, yes all the reasons you mentioned, it is also pretty wet at the moment so a few boggy patches. Much easier just to wear gumboots, I just got some new Muck boots which are working well so far. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@fenraven]

Hard to isolate your subject when trees are covered in leaves. ;) I try though! Woods here in Florida are thick.

[@Duade]

Hi Theo, that does sound like a tough situation. I understand you have some wonderful wetlands and shorebirds in that part of the world, they may make easier subjects. Cheers, Duade👍

[@fenraven]

@@Duade I'd rather have any picture of a cool-looking bird than none at all. It's not like I'm selling my photos. And there are just so many pics you can take of herons and egrets. :) I will say that when I do get a small bird isolated--when I get the shot--it's a thrill. I'm getting better at photographing birds all the time.

[@MAKE_PHOTOGRAPHS_ANYWHERE]

Florida is pretty brutal. I like winter it cleans things up and gets rid of those leaves. Nebraska here !

[@CultureAgent]

Smooth backgrounds because...just right matters. ;)

[@Duade]

Lol thanks, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@birddude9822]

Very helpful video! I hope there were more robins in the city By the way a few days ago I saw Australian King-parrots and Rainbow Lorikeets nesting in the same tree hollow. Is that normal behavior? ( I need to ask a bird expert ^o^)

[@Duade]

G'day, thanks for the comment. It is likely they were both checking out the hollow for future use. Parrots will often squabble over the best hollows, I am unaware of species sharing hollows. Cheers, Duade.👍

[@kelvin869]

I really need to buy meal worms before l go to shoot birds. Lol. Great way to get them to come down.

[@Duade]

Kelvin, it can work well for birds that are interested. Cheers, Duade

[@clementstevens]

Are you feeding mill worms

[@Duade]

G'day Clement, yes I use meal worms with the Robins. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@brandyrainwater2548]

Absolutely love how you overlay the crop & adjustment layer view over the raw file! Great tutorial!

[@Duade]

G'day Brandy, I'm glad you find it useful, I am happy to share how I crop and edit my images.👍

[@blayral]

@@Duade And 2 years later it's still greatly appreciated !

[@Duade]

@@blayral Great to hear, Cheers, Duade