personally, if u can get the bird in action (flying, eating, playing etc), u will have more unique poses rather then the bird is stationary.

Close Up
Din focus the eyes


Glaring Eyes

use what lens?

This is my bird picture. 14mm still can't fit you guys and girls into the picture.

I think you can go to his Flickr page and look up his photos' exif info.

Here is mine, still have a lots more to compile ...



This little fellow love to take photo



what r u looking at ???

since it is out of focus, i try to recompose your pic.
dun angry ya.

guys you old bird park pics you can post on your own thread. This thread is specifically for the recent outing. Fine if you're posting example to give tips like what Viking did.

I thought it was some alien at first glance lolz.
They look weird without the eyes, but that doesn't mean it's wrong.

Here's mine. Very average... still not used to it + lazy lolz.






Although technically I didn't shoot with you guys... but I was there at the same place/time as you all are.
So not considered off-topic right? LOLz

This post has been edited by LegendLee: Feb 27 2011, 02:43 PM

opps! sorry bro. anyway just share share my pic also. dun angry bro.

kytz, nice pictures, im guessing its not 70-200 right? nifty fifty or kitlens?

This post has been edited by Boomeraangkid: Feb 27 2011, 05:31 PM

Ooopss... okay. Sorry for being so mah farn but you were seated along the top or at a higher vantage point? At mmy previous visit there, I was sitting on the top bench of the lower rows of benches and seems like I'm taking the shot from the bottom while yours are taken from the top.

Thanks in advance.

This post has been edited by alexlimco: Feb 27 2011, 06:34 PM

yeah higher point but not too high up. you know the center there's railings? it's that row, there's a small path there.

Okie, okie. Thanks a lot. I will make time to go back next week someday and try to shoot at a higher point. I was not ready for the show the previous time and did not know how to take full advantage of the vantage point available.

i been there before but even so i was uncertain of the flight path. i'm seated on the right side of the arena.

if you go, here's a few pointers.....

1) the raptors will do a few tricks, always take note of where they stop cos for next trick, the flight path will start from that point.

2) i used AI servo

3) i used high ISO, above 1000. for 550d and such, try 800 and shoot under-exposed a bit. make sure shutter speed is high, maybe 1/800? i used higher than that. aperture up to you, i have f4 but i stick at 4.5 to hopefully get a little better IQ. was using Av mode.

4) i shot using RAW. the exposure can be tricky cos when it's bright sunny day then the shaded area in the arena is dark while the outer area is really bright...... but msia weather is funny so it could suddenly be cloudy then you'll have to adapt to the change.

good luck!

Wow... this is worth a thousand times more than it's length in gold. Thank you very much for the detailed explaination on what you did. I think it will help a lot of peeps in this forum.

oh yeah and just to add - i didn't zoom to 200 cos it'll be too difficult to focus on the high speed subject.

my focal length is around 70 - 100 range, center focus point. maximize the 18mp and crop the eagle out later.

no choice, better crop a less sharp shot than missing completely.

FYI this is my first time shootting a high speed bird in flight in a really really really long time. my previous bird park outing was in early 08' newbie with 18-200 OS and no guidance which i don't consider it as a first time.

i just applied all the tips, techniques and theories together.

btw for those who came that day, i had no pointers to give that day cos i'm totally blank that time as well. just agak agak flight path, then choose location, preset everything and hope for the best only.

the results aren't great success as well as the raptor (kite) wasn't sharp but decent to use whe resized and applied a little sharpening. still need practice.

Second that, too many repetitive close up shots will make your shots boring. Try to take some whole bird shots.

Thanks. Walk around and hunt for those not inside the cage one then.

Good point. Try panning flying birds rather than boring stationary pose shot.

Here's a sample of my very first bird panning shot though not that successful.

Untitled by VK'z Gallery, on Flickr

This post has been edited by vikingw2k: Feb 28 2011, 02:42 AM

believe it or not - many of them actually did try! we were on the bridge waiting for subject(s) to shoot but just couldn't get decent shots.

myself, kytz, zhengyang, deodorant and a few others were on the bridge there just waiting for birds to come.

btw viking, that shot is actually nice also mah. didn't freeze the wing but it gives a different feel with the motion blur which I think is nice in it's own way. where was that taken? Jurong Bird Park ah?

Shooting wildlife needs lotsa patience. I'm lack of it

Taken at our lauya National Zoo 2 years ago.