Jurong Bird Park - a Kite (a bird of prey) using E510

[liffeous]

Hi all! i missed the last 4/3rd's Jurong Bird Park gathering but my brother's GF got my family some tix so I was at JBP last Sunday. (but luckily i dint attend that one... i think i will get poisoned big time haha)

I tried to take this Kite taking off... I took a lot of shots but i really love this bird's action.

However, I will like to know how to improve taking birds in action. This was manual focused coz my setup wasnt fast enough to focus the birds in action as the lens is really slow. I find that the bird is not exactly, u know, tack sharp. I am always amazed by how people take those really nice sharp photos with nice colors.

Is it my lens? (Sigma 55-200mm. a cheapo lens)
Or really just my focussing skill? (The birds were really fast)
Or is there a golden shutter number i can do (1/1000) to take fast birds?

I am already at ISO800 (majority of the shots i took at JBP were at ISO1600 coz it was a rainy day and the sky was overcast)
shutter at 1/640.
aperture at f5.6.
Photo is straight from camera no edits (re-exported from Lightroom)

[Stuffed]

Its a pity the top of the wings are chopped off. But otherwise, I like it. Think you hit the right moment.

[skazwan]

Originally Posted by Stuffed Its a pity the top of the wings are chopped off. But otherwise, I like it. Think you hit the right moment.

I agree... and if you get the bird to look at the camera somehow, it will be a super cool.

[rocfreaks]

imagine the kite is looking at you, swooping down towards u... and you focused on the eyes..

If u do that, i bet you will win some award....


maybe u should take in a continuous mode and take the best shot. I always like the wings to be about 30 to 40 degrees angled. just my two cents

[night86mare]

Originally Posted by liffeous Is it my lens? (Sigma 55-200mm. a cheapo lens) Or really just my focussing skill? (The birds were really fast) Or is there a golden shutter number i can do (1/1000) to take fast birds? I am already at ISO800 (majority of the shots i took at JBP were at ISO1600 coz it was a rainy day and the sky was overcast) shutter at 1/640. aperture at f5.6. Photo is straight from camera no edits (re-exported from Lightroom)

oh boy are you the liffeous i know. hrm.

anyways - maybe you can consider prefocusing. that's how a lot of sports photographers/nature photographers do it. it also involves a lot of luck and experience as to when to click, along with familiarity with your gear, but it can be done.

the shutter speed is important mainly because you do not want to get wing blur.

try getting the entire bird, btw.