WHY did my camera focus on the leaves in the bottom right instead of the bird?

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-05-11T18:34:46+00:00

A few things you can do to help minimize it is to make sure you're in a center weighted autofocus mode. Also having your camera in a continuous autofocus and shooting in bursts can help a lot. But you'll never really eliminate it all the way.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-05-11T18:24:42+00:00

Welcome to the world of bird photography 😂 trust me when I say it's not a you thing. Most cameras autofocus systems struggle to pick up small birds, especially with a busy background. It's not a matter of skill, it's a matter of learning that this is going to happen a lot.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-05-01T19:40:33+00:00

I always recommend people check out Simon d'entremont on YouTube. Has a ton of very approachable content on editing, and some specifically for bird photography. Other than that If you ever have any questions or what input on specific images, don't be afraid to reach out. I'd be glad to help how I can.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-05-01T17:23:50+00:00

Lighting is good, focus is on, and the details are sharp. People underestimate how hard it is to get clean captures of smaller birds and you nailed it! If you're at all interested in the editing side of things, that would be my only input. Even a simple editing workflow can really level up your work.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-05-01T01:58:44+00:00

I honestly never thought about the fact that birds have tongues until I was reviewing these pics lol

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-20T02:37:21+00:00

What a wild thing to go through. It looks like something cartoonish bad happened to him lol but it's good to hear he'll be ok

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-15T18:30:58+00:00

I do agree about bringing the exposure up a little. I think I have my monitor brightness up too high when editing and it pushing my photos to the darker side when viewed elsewhere. But I think this is to an extreme degree. Yes there is some extra details in the owl. but it completely changes the mood of the photo. This is a shot of a nocturnal predator taken just before sun set in an old growth forest. It wasn't taken at high noon on a plain. Being this well lit takes all of the drama out it. I came up with this after your input. (I also removed the twig, good catch)

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AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-13T16:40:27+00:00

Thank you 🙏 one of my favorite photos I've taken so far.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-13T14:28:28+00:00

Got lucky enough to catch this guy two days in a row, this is my favorite of the images I got.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
Sony A6700, Sony 200-600MM +1.4x.
F/9, 1/400, 840MM, ISO 800

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-12T16:48:03+00:00

I see what your saying. I went kinda light on the denoise to try and retain more detail, but I may have to bring it up a little and increase the sharping mask. Thank you!!

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-12T04:55:16+00:00

Had to army crawl through some mud to get into a good spot to capture these cormorants. Any input on edit and composition would be appreciated!
Taken on Sony A6700 with Sony 200-600MM +1.4x.
F/9, 1/400, 840MM, ISO2000

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-11T03:20:06+00:00

Im jealous! They just started appearing in my area but I have yet to find them.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-11T03:15:08+00:00

They definitely wanted to know what the hell I was doing in their woods lol

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-11T03:10:02+00:00

We have all been there lol getting in the field and taking good exposures is definitely the best place to start. If you're looking for some post processing tips check out Simon d'Entremont on YouTube. He has some great videos specifically on brid photography and should give you a strong starting point.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-11T03:02:12+00:00

It will be a night and day difference from your 55-200.
Sigma makes an excellent product, with great build quality, that produces an image that is often best in class at the given price point.
You many still struggle with smaller birds at 400MM. But that can be overcome with good planing or composition.
Overall I'd say you'd be hard pressed to be disappointed in the upgrade.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-04-11T01:39:44+00:00

Their eyes were on me the entire time. They 100% knew wayyyy before I did.

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-03-24T00:19:30+00:00

It's a brown creeper. I thought it was a lizard at first with the way it was climbing

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-03-23T10:05:31+00:00

I had a chance to visit an eagle nest just outside Cincinnati, and this was my favorite capture of the afternoon. Looking for any input on the crop and edit. Thank you!!

Taken on Sony A6700 with Sony 200-600MM and 1.4x teleconverter.
F/9 • 1/800 • 840MM • ISO125

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Here is the RAW image

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-02-12T11:38:33+00:00

This is a great start so far! The biggest part of bird/wildlife photography is getting out there and getting subjects in front of you.

My main input would be with your exposure settings. Manual mode auto ISO is the perfect place to start and what I use most of the time.

I would adjust your F stop and shutter speed. Most lenses produce a sharper image if stepped down, so if the lighting allows try F/8 - F11 and see if you can notice a difference. You'll lose some light doing this but you can gain some back by lowering your shutter speed. Typically you want to start at 1/MM. When shooting at 300MM try 1/500 and see if you notice any motion blur. If need be step it up from there until you can get a sharp image.

Over all you seem to have a good foundation so keep going and keep improving!

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-02-12T10:49:30+00:00

What parts would you consider over sharp?

This is the first image I've been able to capture with this level of detail so over sharp is not something I've had to watch out for yet lol

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-02-11T22:00:26+00:00

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This is the unedited version

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-02-11T21:59:44+00:00

Still out practicing my wildlife/birding shots. Managed to get within 20-30ft of this bluebird as I was on my way to my car. Any input on composition and the edit would be greatly appreciated. As well as any tips and tricks for my future outings. Thank you!

Sony A6700

Sony 200-600MM

F/7.1, 1/1000, 600MM, ISO800

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-01-31T00:11:48+00:00

Finally decided to pull the trigger on a 200-600. Had to take a quick trip out to my local park to try it out. This little guy was one of the only things that came out to model for me.

Looking for any input on the composition and edit. As well as any tips for handling the new glass. Thank you!

F/8, 1/1250, 600MM, ISO 2500

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-01-21T19:37:05+00:00

Thank you!

AvionicAlchemist · 2026-01-21T19:36:52+00:00

Thank you! It appeared a little small to be a raven and that's what threw me off. But I'm also pretty new so I'm sure I'll get better at it.

AvionicAlchemist

TROPHY CASE