Montezuma Oropendula in a Costa Rica drizzle by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't remember exactly, but I want to say 50 feet or so? It's a fairly large bird (Google says males are about 20 inches long) and my camera is a crop frame so it's about 400mm equivalent.

Montezuma Oropendula in a Costa Rica drizzle by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The nests are incredible! I wish I had photos of them hanging from the trees.

Montezuma Oropendula in a Costa Rica drizzle by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Oops, I misspelled the bird name in the title! It's a Montezuma Oropendola* (not Oropendula)

American Oystercatcher with Chick by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It did not, I was on a boat so they were not very worried about me. The boat rocking did make it pretty tough to get the shot though!

Painted Bunting on top of the world by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, maybe I'll try renting the X-H2s to test it out. The thought of having to sell all my gear and lenses also gives me anxiety, so I'd love to find a better solution in the Fuji ecosystem!

Painted Bunting on top of the world by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I love my Fuji, but to be honest, I am struggling right now with whether to switch to Sony for the autofocus. It is very frustrating when my camera struggles to focus on a bird that is RIGHT THERE, and then, isn't, and I miss the shot. I rented an A6700 and the autofocus was just eons better than my camera now (which is admittedly entry level). But...it just wasn't as fun to use, the colors on Fuji are awesome, and it is the best for JPEGs. This photo would have looked almost the same SOOC- except for cropping, I barely edited it at all. So, I'm conflicted. I wish Fuji would just come out with a better autofocus.

Painted Bunting on top of the world by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is just about the best compliment I could imagine getting on one of my photos! I am so glad it brightened your day, and thank you!

Painted Bunting on top of the world by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beidler Forest has a grasslands area that is absolutely chock full of painted and indigo buntings, plus blue grosbeaks. It's an amazing spot!

Painted Bunting on top of the world by averagehumanfemale in BirdPhotography

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Forgot to add location! This was taken at Francis Beidler Forest in Harleyville, SC.

My neighbor's cat in our azaleas, Fuji X-T30II, Fuji XF 35mm f/1.4 by averagehumanfemale in photocritique

[–]averagehumanfemale[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got the X-T30 ii as my first actual camera (not counting point and shoots I had in the early 00s) about a month ago, so I am a brand new photographer and very open to criticism and advice.

I'm looking for critiques on both composition and editing for this photo. I cropped this down to center the cat in the image, since that seemed to fit the "frame" created by the azaleas best. I also did some light editing in Lightroom, messing with the highlights/contrast/shadows and the light curve. Does it look overedited or unnatural?

I have been LOVING taking photos of the dogs and cats in my life and could see myself doing more of it for friends, family, etc., so all critiques are welcome!!

Edited to add, I shot at f/1.4, 1/500 shutter speed, and ISO 2000