Cardinal

[Squints]

Camera: Canon SX20 IS
Shutter Speed: 1/8
Aperture: f/5.7
ISO: 400 (auto)
Metering Mode: Center Weighted Avg.
Exposure Comp: 0
Focal Length: 100.0mm

Got the Camera as a gift a week ago and totally got hooked. I can't believe how much enjoyment I'm getting from taking photos.
So, out of the 500 and some shots I've taken so far this one turned out ok I think. At least it's in focus for the most part, which is better that the other 499. Any feed back is appreciated.

-- Squints

[RonCar10]

Squints,

Welcome to DPS. Nice shot on the cardinal, very well executed - the focus is excellent. Animals are very challenging. I prefer birds in profile more than straight on, but they don't always offer a choice. Good job and keep shooting.

[IABoomer]

The colors are vibrant, the background isn't distracting, and shooting at 100mm, you must have been kind of close to get this, so all things considered it's pretty good. It might be a bit better with the bird offset to one side of the frame or the other a bit (rule of thirds), and if you could get a bit of profile that could help, but it's hard to ask the bird to turn for you.

[Browncoat]

Great job!

Birds are difficult to capture. They're so skittish and move in a robotic and jerky fashion, it can be hard to get an ideal composition. I like to photograph birds in my backyard too. The best advice I can give you is to get a good tripod and shoot in continuous mode.

Good luck!

[Squints]

Thanks for the input. I looked up the rule of thirds and will try to use that in the future.
I have a bird feeder just outside a window, and the bush from the shot is right next to the feeder. So I can get a pretty close shot.
I had a couple of profile shots but they either had a blurry head (Birds don't seem to sit still much), or I cut off part of the tail.

Thanks again for the encouragement and I'll use what you have said.

--Squints

[goldeyedgirl]

Originally Posted by Squints

Thanks for the input. I looked up the rule of thirds and will try to use that in the future.
I have a bird feeder just outside a window, and the bush from the shot is right next to the feeder. So I can get a pretty close shot.
I had a couple of profile shots but they either had a blurry head (Birds don't seem to sit still much), or I cut off part of the tail.

Thanks again for the encouragement and I'll use what you have said.

--Squints

I have found that using a tripod or flexpod and using an outdoor action setting with auto focus tracking works well with birds. Most every evening when I go to have my coffee on the patio, I take my camera and set the flexpod on the table on the patio and aim it at the birdbath and wait for a bird to land. I have the camera in burst mode and just press the shutter and click off dozens of shots. But even with the flexpod and the action settings...they are still difficult to get a clean focus as their movements are sudden and jerky. So I would say that your shot is very clear and the colors are great..

Here are a few I took using the above methods.

[Squints]

Originally Posted by goldeyedgirl

I have found that using a tripod or flexpod and using an outdoor action setting with auto focus tracking works well with birds. Most every evening when I go to have my coffee on the patio, I take my camera and set the flexpod on the table on the patio and aim it at the birdbath and wait for a bird to land. I have the camera in burst mode and just press the shutter and click off dozens of shots. But even with the flexpod and the action settings...they are still difficult to get a clean focus as their movements are sudden and jerky. So I would say that your shot is very clear and the colors are great..

Here are a few I took using the above methods.

Great shots.
I have aquired a tripod and will start using it. I am trying to use either the Av or Tv modes on the camera. I tried the sports setting a couple of times and didn't like the way the shot looked.

Thanks for the advice, I will try it out.

-- Squints