tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post400812116857736309..comments2024-02-05T16:57:21.842-08:00Comments on The Speckled Hatchback: Post #130 - Mindo, Ecuador!Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-42467006297952855452018-03-29T23:02:57.880-07:002018-03-29T23:02:57.880-07:00Photography is all about being able to get close t...Photography is all about being able to get close to birds that you know will be there, like at areas where they are drawn in by food. If birds are high in the canopy, it's just not wort shooting them. For something like shorebirds or ducks, it not only the ability to get close but also the ability to right down to ground or water level. Shooting down on shorebirds - like from a boardwalk or a dike - is a waste of time. The general rule bird photography is that you want to position yourself at eye level with your subject. Steep shooting angles - up or down - rarely deliver decent results. Dorian Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-10185783435533719262018-03-29T21:40:08.080-07:002018-03-29T21:40:08.080-07:00Thanks Dorian for the tips. I didn't actually ...Thanks Dorian for the tips. I didn't actually know that cropping was so exacerbated the ISO factor. I do use a crop sensor D7200 (w/ 80-400mm lens), so high ISO is tough already. I'm spending the next few weeks shooting in riparian shaded areas of Southern California to get some practice. I also noticed that you commented on a few places that were good for birds, but not photography. What exactly makes a place good for photography for you over another?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08816705318137066287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-58427363432226851982018-03-25T20:54:46.417-07:002018-03-25T20:54:46.417-07:00Hi Conor
Thanks for the kinds words. I'm happ...Hi Conor<br /><br />Thanks for the kinds words. I'm happy that you found some of this useful. As for your ISO questions, you will effectively be at ISO 1600 the entire time. You'll aways be under canopy or cloud (and usually both) and there just isn't that much ambient light available. I do use a modest amount of noise reduction, but the real trick is getting close to the subject so that you can avoid cropping as that is where noise really rears its head. If you only toss/crop half the frame (i.e. of the total pixels) noise is rarely an issue even at ISO 1600 or 3200, but the further in you crop the more noise is going to be an issue. Some can be fixed in post, but every body is going to generate noise differently, crop sensors being much noisier than full frames. Luckily at set-ups you can get close enough that you can go at the birds with a 400 or 500mm lens. Just realize that anything above f/5.6 (or maybe 6.3) is going to be mostly useless. Hope that helps!Dorian Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-52424035173666544192018-03-24T13:35:53.417-07:002018-03-24T13:35:53.417-07:00Thanks for doing these blog posts, they are very i...Thanks for doing these blog posts, they are very informative for us as we plan our upcoming trip to the Mindo area. Excellent photos! I notice that they are generally at pretty high ISO. I suppose that is necessary when in the forest. I am planning to do some photography when there, but I'm somewhat inexperienced when it comes do using high ISO to compensate for lack of light. Despite being shot at 1600 or 2000, your photos came out amazingly, and without the issues that seem to plague my shots whenever I jack the ISO up. Curious if you are doing any kind of noise reduction in post? Thanks!Conornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-17425582848902731002018-03-15T22:08:41.075-07:002018-03-15T22:08:41.075-07:00First of all, thank you so much for posting all th...First of all, thank you so much for posting all this valuable intel from your experiences in the area. We are planning a trip in June, and this is all invaluable. Second, excellent picture of the Velvet-purple Coronet (among other great shots). I have a couple questions:<br /><br />1. Paz de Las Aves - For the most part this place seems awesome. But to what extent did it feel like visiting a petting zoo? While most descriptions are very favorable, some hint that it lacks the component of exploration that most birding locations offer and that it seems more like a choreographed animal performance. I think we'll go either way, but just curious your thoughts.<br /><br />2. I see most of your pictures are high ISO (usually 1600). I am a beginner photographer, but never usually think of going that high because they don't come out well when I do. Your images are excellent, so you seem to have handled cranking the ISO quite well. I take it that in this forest the light is lacking, and thus high ISO is necessary. Any tips on taking pictures with ISO set at 1600 or above? (shooting with a Nikon D7200 + 80-400mm 4.5-5.6 VRII lens).<br /><br />3. Great info on the Birder's House. This looks promising.<br /><br />Thanks again for posting all this info.<br /><br />ConorUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08816705318137066287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-89757843857675321232018-02-18T05:12:16.303-08:002018-02-18T05:12:16.303-08:00This is an excellent post Dorian. We too, (I and ...This is an excellent post Dorian. We too, (I and several friends), have also just returned from Ecuador where we also visited several of the places that you are writing about. It rained heavily on many days of our trip, so the roads were an adventure. We did see the closed gate to the Mashpi Lodge and we were told that it cost $150.00 to enter the grounds and $800/night to stay. We were told by a local guide that it was very exclusive. We did not do either of those things, but now we know what the place looks like. Thanks for including this, amongst all of your other great comments and photos. Cathy Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13683163609469540167noreply@blogger.com