FIVE KEY factors for creating SMOOTH BACKGROUNDS in bird photographs.

[@alanhinton5069]

Hey Duade. This is the first time I have ever commented on any of the hundreds of videos I have watched on bird photography. The ease and simplicity with which you explain what you are teaching is easy and simple to follow and understand. For an Aussie by an Aussie, thanks Mate, your videos will be my go to from here on in.

[@Duade]

G'day Alan, thank you very much for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it. I'm glad you are finding the videos helpful. I know how difficult it can be so I am happy to try and explain things the way I understand them. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@wilsonlennard4572]

Another fantastic video Duade. Nicely done. Wilson

[@Duade]

G'day Wilson, thanks for your comment. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@JoseManuelHiniesto]

Good morning. Glad to meet your new video. Very interesting. !!!!!! Like

[@Duade]

Thanks Jose, glad you enjoyed it. 👍

[@lampyman101]

I love how you get distracted by the passing birds. Always keeping an eye out for a potential shot.

[@Duade]

Yes, I find it hard to concentrate at times lol. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@TheSannaeriksson]

Your pictures are as if they were from a fairy tale world, so lovely colors, "crispy" sharpness, neat branches and details in front of the soft backgrounds. So beautiful!

[@Duade]

Thank you Susanna, you are too kind, I'm glad you like the images. Cheers, Duade

[@tedk2814]

Your explanation of depth of field is the best I've seen, what really sets it apart for me at least, is the use of diagrams and different colors to represent in and out of focus. Very nice, thanks

[@Duade]

Thanks Ted, glad to hear you found it helpful, Cheers, Duade

[@tysonator5433]

A great video to watch and good detail narrative. I will certainly watch more from this channel.

[@Duade]

Thank you, I appreciate the comment. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@nikonnorm]

Greetings from the UK. It's not going to get much better than this! A superbly presented video beautifully illustrated with easy to follow technical content. Your relaxed presentation style make your chanel highly watchable - well done, please keep them coming. PS. Your chanel really is a "go-to" resource and you deserve a lot more subscribers than you currently have.

[@Duade]

G'day Norman, thank you very much for your kind comment, I appreciate the feedback. I will endeavour to keep producing useful content. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@bruceterrill8730]

Well thought out and extremely well presented Duade, you have quickly become my favourite presenter with great subject material and a very easy to follow along style and personality. I have many times asked other presenters to actually show themselves out in the field, using the subjects and techniques described to give the viewer a better understanding of what's required. Behind the scenes, how to, videos are fast becoming the accepted style of the Americans, who I believe are actually following along from our Australian presenters. Another fantastic video to your catalog, congratulations, Bruce.

[@Duade]

G'day Bruce, thank you for your detailed comment, I appreciate it. I will be sure to do an in the field video to support the theory. Cheers, Duade👍

[@picsbyrob]

I am just getting into bird photography and this was extremely helpful. I especially appreciate the drawing of the duck, so now I better understand to get eye level and to get a hose soft backgrounds. Just tried your tips this morning and it made a huge difference to my images. 👍

[@Duade]

Rob, thank you for your comment, I am glad to hear it has helped, have fun with your photography. Cheers, Duade

[@kimduggan7631]

Excellent video and clear explanation, thanks for sharing Duade 👏

[@Duade]

Hi Kim, my pleasure, I hope you are having a great weekend 👍

[@claudiovelizb]

Amazing video Duade, all good tips and very well explained. Thanks a lot.

[@Duade]

Thanks Claudio, I'm glad to hear it helped. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@roseeartworksnl7992]

Thank you Duane for suggesting this video. It has given me power to experiment with depth of field!

[@Duade]

Rosee, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade

[@gregbales5110]

Much better thanks. Great video

[@Duade]

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

[@tonyclark1504]

Another great informative video. Thanks.

[@Duade]

G'day Tony, my pleasure :-) Cheers, Duade

[@wolfgangrieger1246]

Great explanation. The best I ever saw. Lot off questionmarks are gone. Thx Duade.

[@Duade]

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

[@sujeesharyan2827]

Amazing video.. and easy to understand the concepts.. Thanks for sharing.

[@Duade]

G'day Sujeesh, thanks for your comment. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@sarahbatsford4791]

Wonderful insights. I'm pretty new at bird photography, out shooting everyday, I love it. Getting it perfect is another matter! Thank you for being so helpful😊

[@farhatafza2739]

I watched your video Duade Thanks a lot for showing and teaching me unknowingly a lot.be blessed always and share your birding experiences.

[@Duade]

Thanks Farhat, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@MikeRigney]

Very nice! Love the visual depiction of depth of field using colors. Also nice to see the same image at multiple f-stops to drive that point home. And yes would love to see more videos from in the field! It's great to see these techniques implemented in real-time. Thank you again for this amazing content!

[@Duade]

Thanks Mike, glad to hear it made sense, a tricky subject that took me awhile to wrap my head around. I will make an in the field video I think. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@RRooooooNNNN]

Awesome that just 2yrs ago you weren't over a 1000 subs, now you're over 35k. Keep up the fantastic work and enjoy your time with the birdies. ❤

[@Duade]

Thanks Ron, yes, I am very grateful for the growth of the channel and people like yourself engaging with the channel. Cheers, Duade

[@michaeld8532]

Hello Duade. Thank you for your effort you clearly take in preparing your videos. I enjoy the content and the delivery and I hope your channel gathers the success it rightly deserves.

[@Duade]

G'day Michael, thank you for you kind comment. I look forward to creating more content. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@sanjeetdighawa]

Thank you for a very informative video once again. Looking forward for some great content in future!!!

[@Duade]

G'day Sanjeet, thanks for the comment. 👍

[@abhignansai8313]

Wow!!! Great video... I recently started bird photography with my Canon T7 and EF-S 55-250 IS STM at near by river!... Thing I realized instantly was to be patient and quiet while approaching the bird and get eye level with the bird!... Thanks for your tutorial and keep uploading!

[@Duade]

G'day and congratulations on your camera, great to hear you are enjoying photographing birds. Cheers, Duade👍

[@abhignansai8313]

@@Duade Thanks for your support sir!

[@michellestewart7494]

Wow I love your videos...thank you for sharing ...cheers!🇨🇦😉

[@Duade]

Thanks Michelle, I'm happy you are enjoying the videos. Cheers, Duade

[@abhishekbeuc]

Love all the Videos Duade.Thank you.

[@Duade]

G'day Abhishek, thank you for your comment. 👍

[@vimalneha]

It is again a very good video. You have a calm cool nature that makes video even better.

[@Duade]

Good morning Vimal, thank you for your kind comment. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@mickfromcork]

Seriously good advice. Loving your videos. Subscribed as soon as I saw just one of your videos.

[@Duade]

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

[@bananaanan]

Really great tution on DoF & Smooth Background.... Explanation is highly appreciated.6th Key point is your "way of presentation". Tq ....

[@Duade]

G'day Anand, thank you very much for your comment. I'm glad you found it useful. 👍

[@bananaanan]

@@Duade yes...very much...useful...tq

[@chriswhitton6707]

Thanks for another great video Duade. I have always loved your style of photography and this video may have explained at least one of the keys to it. Including some context rather than completely isolating the bird which I find can look quite artificial at times. I look forward to further content on anything to do with your photography but especially like to see you out taking photos in the field. Thanks, Chris.

[@Duade]

G'day Chris, you make a valid point re some images being artificial looking. The challenge as mentioned is to include elements without them becoming distracting. We all have different tastes and likes and that is what makes photography such an interesting art form. Cheers, Duade👍

[@benwilde4337]

More great advice - thanks!

[@Duade]

G'day Ben, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade

[@nigelmartin4510]

Just came across your videos tonight I’ve subscribed because I think your content is brilliant you make it easy to understand, keep up the good work all the best from Nigel in the UK 👍

[@Duade]

G'day Nigel, I'm glad you found the channel, welcome aboard 😀 Cheers, Duade 👍

[@paulinefollett3099]

A brilliant video. The content was so helpful and easy to understand. Also your bird images were some of the best I have ever seen. I love how you are an Australian showing our Aussie birds. Well done Duade, keep up the good work. It would be wonderful seeing you out in the field.

[@Duade]

G'day Pauline, yes our Aussie birds are amazing, I'm glad you are finding them interesting. I will be sure to do more in the field videos once things settle down. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@BobSouthDakota]

Duade, I can't say much more than Alan said. I have watched many many bird photography videos and yours are the best! BTW, I ordered and received a ground pod Skimmer II and love it. Bob, South Dakota USA

[@Duade]

G'day Bob, thank you very much for your comment, I appreciate it 👍 Glad to hear you are enjoying the Ground Pod👍

[@cyrusceciro7348]

as spected, i've learned a lot. Thank you so much.

[@Duade]

Cyrus, that is great to hear, Cheers, Duade

[@andrewmelton3193]

Fantastic! Many thanks for your time and effort in producing these videos. Hope you can keep it up.

[@Duade]

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

[@desmamunro3384]

I love your photograph's. Your video's are excellent. I'm an artist from Bowen in QLD. I love taking my reference photos to paint. I've just purchased a Sigma 150-600 lens. Need plenty of practical information & I like the way you present everything. Thank you & happy birding.🐦🐦

[@Duade]

Good morning Desma, I am happy you found the channel and the videos have helped. Good luck capturing our amazing birds. Cheers, Duade

[@peterjackson2632]

Nice video Duade. I miss your images on F&P

[@Duade]

G'day Peter, I have very fond memories of my time on F&P, I met so many wonderful people and learnt a lot. Thanks for the comment and I hope you are well. Cheers, Duade👍

[@Geophoto63]

Awesome tutorials, thanks so much for share it and your valuable time, by the way a lot of colors fantastic birds in Australia, LOVE ALL THEM, great job..

[@Duade]

G'day Jorge, thanks for the feedback, yes we are lucky to have so many birds👍

[@minuteman2006]

Very well explained! One of the easiest tutorials on techniques for background blur. Also, Really enjoyed the video on how to take great photos on a budget setup with a 10MP camera and an older Canon zoom. Keep up the great vids for us noobs.

[@Duade]

Thanks George, we are all noobs at heart :-) Cheers, Duade

[@RA-vs4cy]

Please do make the video how to implement this tutorial, i really enjoyed your videos!. Looking forward to your next video. Happy birding Duade.

[@Duade]

G'day Rolando, thanks for your comment, I will be sure to make the in the field video. 👍

[@RA-vs4cy]

@@Duade Great!!, Happy weekend mate!!

[@AndyGustavsson]

Excellent video Duade, very informative and helpful! Hard to put words to things like this and make it interesting to follow through but you managed too, so well done! Those royal penguins are so darn handsome, love the blue tone in the photo!

[@Duade]

G'day Andy, thanks for the comment, yeah penguins are very cool. 👍

[@kimfrost243]

Another brilliant video. Would be very interested in seeing you implement the suggestions. Big thanks!

[@Duade]

Thanks Kim, hopefully I'll start on that video soon. 👍

[@DarkGiratina96]

Fantastic video! You explained everything really well and all the examples helped a lot. Thank you! I don't have the best equipment for bird photography, but after learning some of the basics I'm excited to give it a try!

[@Duade]

Good luck implementing these techniques, I hope it helps, Cheers, Duade

[@DarkGiratina96]

@@Duade To test it out, this morning I photographed some friendly pigeons in a city square. And I must say the techniques you show in the video work really well! I still have a lot to learn and I need a lot of practice, but my photos really improved. So thanks again for the video!

[@Duade]

That is fantastic to hear, I'm so glad it helped. Good luck, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@gogeedada8503]

Excellent videos Thank you so much

[@Duade]

It is my pleasure, cheers, Duade

[@mustafakasapoglu]

Great work and thanks for your valuable efforts!.. very helpful!..

[@Duade]

G'day Mustafa, you are welcome. Happy Birding, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@TonKuipers134]

Many thanks, a very nice tutorial!

[@Duade]

G'day Ton, thank you. Cheers, Duade👍

[@jan_wegener]

Great work mate!

[@Duade]

Thanks mate, I appreciate it. 👍

[@saleeshgreendot607]

it's really helpful for me sir ... thank u soomuch

[@Duade]

Saleesh it is my pleasure, Cheers, Duade

[@Vacublaster1]

Duade, you've inspired me to look through my images again and see what I've overlooked, thank you.

[@Duade]

Thanks again for the comment, I'm glad you found it useful. Cheers, Duade

[@CamillaI]

Beautiful birds you have in Australia the advice is the same for us here in the UK. Lucky for us not only do we simplify the background but also the number of different species? Great video very good to watch thanks for sharing

[@Duade]

G'day Camilla, yes we are very lucky indeed, the diversity of species is fantastic. The only issue is the country is so big it is hard to see them all. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. 👍

[@tragicbubba]

Thank you for this, fun and educational! I have gotten into birding since the covid craziness and it has been a fun way to do something while safely social distancing.

[@Duade]

G'day Kyle, yes it is a fun hobby, and it can be very cathartic being with birds and away from people. Cheers, Duade

[@nordendukpa516]

Lovely content will be great help.

[@Duade]

G'day Norden, that is great to hear, good luck in your photo journey. Cheers, Duade

[@roybixby6135]

Lovely images - I like the ones with a little background detail Better...

[@Duade]

G'day Roy, thanks for the comment👍

[@asifalam223]

Great information sharing with us... it's definitely helpful & work for beginners... Thanks!

[@Duade]

Thanks Asif, glad to hear it's helpful 👍

[@Steven-xq6df]

Thank you for showing me how to use the camera and lens to capture the birds and the background !

[@Duade]

G'day Tien, you are welcome. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@sudiptochakraborty597]

Hi Duade... excellent knowledge of photography fundamentals and presentation...can you please cover few topics on tripod

[@Duade]

, I will add it to the list of suggestions, Cheers, Duade

[@frankygoestocanada]

Very nice video that explain very well everything about blury backgrounds... I just bought myself a canon R7 with it kit lens (18-100mm) and the 100-400mm f5.6/8 after listening to your videos and of course my buget (😅) like 5 days ago and I already have beautifull pictures I've never took before! It's a pleasure to follow you on your channel. Thanks a lot and have a great one! 😃

[@chrismorecroft1599]

Great vid Duade once again , I finally have a clear and precise explanation to share with a few friends who insists I PS the backgrounds. Great tips mate . Oh , are you trying to grow beard ? 👀

[@Duade]

Thanks mate, I've been trying to grow facial hair but all I get is this grey stubble. 😁

[@prashanthegde5071]

Great video 👌

[@Duade]

Thanks Prashant, Cheers, Duade 👍

[@SabirAhamedVlogs]

Thanks... amazing tips

[@Duade]

G'day Ahamed, my pleasure. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@birddude9822]

Great video Duade Paton! Maybe you can make a video on shooting in RAW, as I found your blog on your website very helpful.

[@Duade]

Thank you, great idea, I will add it to the list. 👍

[@Opeth12341]

Fantastic, sir.

[@Duade]

G'day Ankur, thank you for your comment. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@Opeth12341]

@@Duade you're welcome :)

[@martinbyrne6643]

Nice one

[@Duade]

Thanks Martin👍

[@lynfaulks4377]

Excellent presentation! Very helpful for those of us getting into ‘birding’. Am thinking of getting the Canon R6 & am tossing up the RF 100-500 ! Wondering how it would perform with the 1.4x or 2x extenders ?. Thanks for the time you put in to these videos.

[@Duade]

Hi Lyn, that would be an excellent combo and from my understanding the 100-500 will work with converters. They will struggle in low light with converters as your max aperture will be quite high but in good light they should work well. Cheers, Duade

[@daztography1]

Great video, very informative, I've always done this type of bird photography with my 400 5.6 , but always had it at 5.6 and focused on the head and his feet or tail were out of focus..will try f8 next time.

[@Duade]

G'day Darren, love the profile pic. Yes it should give you a bigger depth of field. Happy to hear you are using that great lens. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@daztography1]

@@Duade thanks again, would love to get the 500f4 one day when i can afford one, even 2nd hand, they are expensive..i actually found a 600f4 for 3 grand the other day, wish i had the cash.

[@Duade]

G'day Darren, yeah I got my 500 second hand, a lot cheaper than new. Those old 600s are very heavy and can be hard to use but no doubt excel in certain situations. I am always surprised how light and easy to use the 400 is after the 500. 👍

[@daztography1]

@@Duade by the way, just followed you on insta

[@elenaburner6425]

Great video, thanks. What about focus points? One point/ 8 points- which is better?

[@Duade]

G'day Elena, depends on the subject, if it's static I use single point, if its moving or flying I often use expansion. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@alvintelin]

this is perfect.

[@Duade]

Thanks Mike, Cheers, Duade

[@timburgess2417]

Great video Duade! I love that you set the bar high right from the start of your YT channel. And I'm trying to do the same on my YT channel. Great helpful advice keep it up.

[@Duade]

G'day Tim, thanks for the comment, it is always great to see young people with a passion for birds and photography. Good luck with the channel. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@3082frank]

Hi Duade, As a hobbyist it is impossible for most of us to own a 500mm f4 lens. Can you please suggest what would be a good starting lens for someone wishing to sell photographs of birds and animals with lens on an affordable price. I know you shoot with Canon but Nikon has a 500mm f 5.6. Any suggestion if that would be a good starting point. Thank you. Also it was nice to watch your video and see all those amazing shots with longer camera settings on screen 👍

[@Duade]

G'day Francis, thank you for your comment. I started with the Canon 400 5.6 and used that for many years before upgrading and it is a wonderful affordable lens. The Nikon 200-500 is another affordable lens with good feedback. If you can afford the Nikon 500 5.6pf then that is also fantastic. The latest Canon 100-400 is also good. Good luck in your purchase of a new lens. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@jean-clauderajaonah8728]

Duade, Great and clear video. On the field, how do you do to select the aperture to achieve the desired depth of field? I know you can estimate the distance and put it in an app (like dof) however it's never accurate enough and viewing the photo on the camera is not accurate too. I'd like to hear from your experience. Regards

[@Duade]

G'day Jean-Claude, a great question, I dont use any type of calculator. I rely on my knowledge of the lens and how close I am to the subject. I know if I am very close, such as a head shot then my DOF will be very shallow and I will sometimes go up to f/9-10. Most of the time f7.1-8 will be fine. I do try to think about the perch and its angle to the camera. Ideally you want a perch that is horizontal, however sometimes that is not possible. Long term this issue will resolve itself when we all move to mirrorless as this shows the DOF in the viewfinder. Cheers, Duade👍

[@kolapyellow7631]

Great review. How do i control motion blur on handheld??

[@Duade]

G'day Kolap, ensure that you have a high enough shutter speed. Ideally around 1/500th or higher. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@karledman4625]

Your video is greatly appreciated, well presented and explanations concerning depth of field / aperture / focal length relationships were very good. One question, do you use only set focual length lens with or without an extender?

[@Duade]

G'day Karl, thanks for your comment, glad the DOF made sense, it is a tricky subject. At the moment I only have two prime lenses, the 400 f/5.6 and the 500 f/4, which can both use the 1.4ext to extend the focal length. A crop body with a 1.6 crop will also increase the focal length. Zoom lenses have their advantages for sure but I like the sharpness and quickness of the primes. Cheers, Duade👍

[@QVL75]

Great video! My personal style is exactly what you mentioned at the end of the video. I'm not very fond of the totally clean background look.

[@samuellawrence3239]

Good day, Duade. Your videos are very inspiring. I need your advice to decide on one of these two lenses I plan to buy when the salary resumes as normal: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 OS HSM "C", or Canon 400mm f/5.6 L. I'm a school teacher (and wonder how to produce marketable images and sell them), and the way I photograph is to search for the subject (birds, reptiles, mammals, plants), with my crop sensor Canon DSLR on a monopod.

[@Duade]

G'day Samuel, thank you very much for your comment and great to hear you are looking at getting a new lens. I understand how hard this choice can be and it really comes down to tradeoffs. If you can afford it the Canon 100-400 IS II would be the ideal lens. It has the versatility of a zoom, it is light, sharp and very portable. The other amazing feature of this lens is its minimum focus distance of I think 1m. This allows you to take almost macro shots of plants, reptiles, and subjects you can get close too. It will also take a 1.4 converter giving you reach if you need it. I have not personally used the Sigma 150-600 so cannot really comment, it does have the focal length advantage and is affordable. Good luck with your purchase. Cheers, Duade

[@randywdc1]

Love your videos! What is your opinion of using a zoom -vs- a prime lens? (e.g.: Canon 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L is -vs- Canon 400mm 5.6L) Thanks

[@Duade]

G'day Randy, the latest 100-400 is the superior lens, it is sharp and gives you lots of flexibility. I look forward to trying the 100-500 RF lens that is coming. At the end of the day cost is always a factor as well and that is why I often suggest the 400 5.6 as it is almost $1000 cheaper here. Cheers, Duade👍

[@ramonbentum3531]

hello great foto's you make. I'm not shooting with a canon 7d mark ii and a 100-400 ii but i'm not also looking for a prime lens and i see that the older 500 f/4 cost 3,500 used is the 500 version 1 still a good and scharp lens for birds and other wildlife

[@Duade]

G'day Ramon, the 7d and 100-400 is a great combo. The original 500 is a great lens but it is very heavy. Weight and size becomes and issue if you have to move or travel. If you are stationary a lot in a blind or hide then the size isn't such an issue. It really depends on the style of photography you do. Perhaps the seller would let you try the lens first so you can judge the weight issue for yourself. Cheers, Duade👍

[@ramonbentum3531]

@@Duade Oke thank you. I will just add a 1.4 iii extender to my combo :) for in the bright days

[@bartek6900]

Out of curiosity, don’t photographers get tired of those smooth, sterile background? It separates bird nicely, but having a little bit of detail in the background, gives you a feeling of „bird in the natural environment”, rather than just „bird with all the details”. I have a feeling also that these smooth photos don’t win the bigger competitions if you’re into it. What’s your take on this?

[@Duade]

G'day Bartek, you make valid points, In case you missed it I did mention this at 17:31 where I say you do not need smooth backgrounds to take nice images and that background elements often enhance images. I do also go over what I think makes a great image in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGa5n3VqeMmCnrM if you were interested. Often it comes down to personal preference and that is fine, some people prefer an isolated bird and others don't. That is the beauty of photography, there is no right or wrong way, only the way that makes you happy. Thanks for your comment, Cheers, Duade👍

[@bartek6900]

@@Duade I did miss it and I apologize for being a dummy. Thanks for the additional link :) All the best

[@Duade]

G'day Bartek, no need to apologise, I admire the work of people who can capture beautiful habitat shots as it is very difficult to do well. Cheers, Duade

[@yesiamathinker1580]

Please explain all this in terms of the Nikon Coolpix P1000...

[@Duade]

Margaret, the same principles apply to the P1000 except that camera uses a very small sensor which means the depth of field is much wider then say a full frame sensor making it more difficult to get the smooth backgrounds. One way to test this would be to take an object say a flower, hold it up with nothing behind it and get as close as you can. This will show you what the smoothest background is for that camera. Good luck, Cheers, Duade

[@dominicklawless606]

Hi Duade love your video I have Canon 70-200 with is quite short is a 2x extender worth it or save up for a longer lense ?

[@Duade]

G'day Dominick, I would suggest saving for a longer lens. I have the original 70-200 and it was terrible with a converter, but by all accounts, if you have the latest 70-200 with the latest converter it works much better. Cheers, Duade

[@dominicklawless606]

@@Duade thank you for your feedback yes I think it's the way to Go 👍

[@scrptwic]

Thank you I am a landscape photographer so I use F-11 mostly I will use F-8 in birding I bought a new lens a 55- 300 with electronic autofocus so super fast autofocus should be better for birding than my old Tamron 75-300 screw drive that did not get sharp until F- 11

[@Duade]

Gday, yes f8 or f9 should work well, this will help give you higher SS as well. It really is trial and error, feel free just to play around. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@redzone8618]

i think 300mm is still short for birding in my opinion, i use 100-400 its a good reach for tame birds but i still find it difficult to photograph certain species. the ideal focal length is 500 or 600 but like i said before that just my opinion.

[@Duade]

I agree even 400 on a FF seems very short, I use 700mm on FF most of the time and that is my sweet spot. I think a 400 on an APSC feels much better in the viewfinder. Cheers, Duade

[@redzone8618]

@@Duade yep indeed it is much better on apsc i have canon 90d which is a crop sensor but still tricky to photograph wary birds

[@josephkarpinski9586]

What’s your thoughts on using an extender, say 1.4x in your photos? Plus and minuses? Impact on field of view and sharpness? When is it recommended vs not recommended? For example, is using a 1.4x extender on a F2.8 70-200mm a good idea to get that extra reach but at the cost of having f/4 minimum and any image quality issues?

[@Duade]

G'day Joseph, extenders can be very useful. I use a 1.4ext on my 500 f4 99% of the time, it rarely comes off and I don't notice any real difference to be honest. If you have a mark 2 or 3 70-200 coupled with a mk3 1.4TC it should work well. The f4 will mean you lose a little bit of light but that is still pretty fast. The biggest drawback is the autofocus usually take a bit of a hit and can slow down a bit. I'm not sure if you are able to borrow one or trial one just to see how it performs as they are expensive. One last thing is they perform better on quality glass, if you add a TC to a cheaper lens then it compounds any issues the original lens has. I tried to use a 2x mk2 on my original 70-200 and it was pretty bad tbh, I sold the TC and purchased the 400 5.6L. Good luck, Cheers, Duade

[@josephkarpinski9586]

Duade Paton Used the Canon 1.4x III with my Canon 80D and the Canon 100-400mm II at 896mm, 400mm x 1.6 crop x 1.4 extender at f/8 with 27 AF points stopped down to f/10 for good wildlife results. Upgraded to the Canon 90D which I like with the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 II. Great in low light. Have tried it with the 1.4x III extender and have gotten ok results at f/4. The thing is, if you exclude the magnification is the image quality the same for the lens stopped down at f/4 vs f/4 with the 1.4x extender attached? Or is better to just crop? Similar question about field of view at f/4 vs f/4 with extender attached on a crop sensor. Don’t use f2.8 that often because of the short field of view, but it’s a great help in low light when needing a fast shutter say 2000 when shooting hummingbirds, where f4 pushes the ISO to high.

[@Duade]

G'day Joseph, in theory the 70-200 stopped down to f4 will be sharper than the 1.4 at f4, you probably need to stop down to 5.6 or 6.3 for max sharpness with converter. It is an interesting question vs focal length vs crop. I have not run any tests to see if there is a noticeable difference between the two. With your FL you are gaining 80mm extra reach, with my 500 I get 200mm so it's worthwhile. I really think you would need to try it out to see which is best. The 90D does have a 1.6 crop and has a lot of MP so I imagine you can crop quite a lot. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@kevywilliams3304]

You took the lory photo ? Looks like one I took professional .

[@Duade]

Kev, I would love to see your Lory photo, I am always willing to learn from professionals. Cheers, Duade

[@MasterVycen]

Just curious, do you also make any money from your images? They look fantastic and I would assume you would, but you said it was just a passion so now I'm curious.

[@Duade]

G'day Patrick, I do sell a few images but it's only pocket money really. Not enough to pay the bills, I have a job to do that.👍

[@erichminkle1167]

500 f/4.. on a top gear camera.. nuff said

[@Duade]

G'day Erich, the 500 F/4 is a fantastic lens but you can achieve smooth backgrounds with a far cheaper lens. Check out my budget gear challenge here kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIHQeYadg7CLoLM where I use my 400 5.6 and get the same smooth backgrounds. If you follow these 5 keys with a telephoto lens you will achieve a smooth background. Cheers, Duade 👍

[@sushantsourav1259]

Hi Duade Thanks for that fluid video...but I think the concept of smooth background is very much a dumb idea (an entirely personal opinion)..if you take a minute and think why do we isolate subjects- is it for the less sensitive who cannot see the beauty of environment/habitat and/or for minds who must be spoon-fed to look at the subject...the wren with the environment at 1.57 looks much better and provides more info than the wren in isolated background...I might stretch my argument that if it at all a bird should be isolated, then why not just switch to more artificial genre of fashion photography..just abstract the model/fashion...if you love birds, you love the environment too..one devoid of other conveys little ..I might be wrong ..but please help me if I'm wrong.

[@Duade]

G'day Sushant, what a thought provoking comment, you make many valid points and I agree with some of what you say. I'm not sure if you saw the end of the video, where I say you do not need a smooth background to take a nice image. The beauty of photography is you can take whatever photos you like as an individual. There is no right or wrong way and we all like/dislike different images. This video is showing people how to achieve a smooth background should they want it. If you don't, then do the opposite. 👍 Thanks for your comment and happy birding. Cheers, Duade 😊