Sisters Pet Pics' Blog » Bird

Pet Fest 2009!

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:23:58 +0000

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Click to enlarge)

For those anxious to view the snap shots we took at the Fest, they’re up! Visit our Proofs page to view them. You’ll see a link to Pet Fest 2009 to see the collections.

I mentioned the challenges I confronted in the post Over Stimulation Is Not Just For Children Any More. You may think that bright light is easy…but it’s not. I much prefer an overcast day for events when things are happening at break neck speed, as they were at Pet Fest 2009. No sooner had I been speaking with Angela Hill of WWL-TV (she was just wonderful!) than a wagon-load of Chihuahuas and Papillons would stroll by. Some subjects were in the blinding light, some in deep dark shadows, but all of them just needed to have their picture taken.

It was a journalistic photographer’s dream. Stories all over the place. For the studio portrait artist…a challenge. I changed my settings so many times my fingers hurt. I worried constantly about whether I was capturing the story in front of me…they were certainly bringing it. Although I was supposed to be promoting our studio and our new location, I forgot about that most of the time, and just tried to record what was in front of me. And it occurred to me; this was the best exercise for any aspiring photographer. Whether you wanted to be a pet photographer or a journalist on the war front, this would have been a good start.

There was so much to photograph one didn’t have to walk about to find it. I never found the time to check out the rest of the Fest as I had wanted to. As far as I was concerned it was happening right in front of — or in — our tent. This engaging little girl on the right was one of the souls I met that day. I worried aloud about her to her dad. My concern was about walking around with her unrestrained in such a madhouse. I shared with him that I live with two cherished large parrots I would never expose to the dangers of all the people and animals at an event like this. He assured me he does this all the time. “What fun is it to have one of these guys if you can’t take them everywhere.” I’m not passing judgment, I’m only voicing my concern for unconfined, unprotected animals. It wouldn’t take but one strong breeze for even a clipped-winged bird to catch it and be off.

Nevertheless, I talked with and photographed this wonderful little creature. I wish her and her dad long-lived safety, health and happiness as I do all the great new friends I met that day. Enjoy the Proofs !

Backyard Dinosaur

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:41:10 +0000

Hawk At Work (Click to enlarge)

Hawk-eying (Click to enlarge)

Just when you thought it was safe for your four pound dog or puppy to hang out in your yard…

I barely had my eyes open this morning when I saw, more than heard, a commotion in the bamboo. I put down my coffee, pointed and said, “Something! Something! Something!” Old woman shorthand for, check the dogs! Count heads!

Our home is populated by small animals and Julia, a normal sized Foxhound-type dog. The dogs have free entry/exit privileges through a doggie door. Because they’re all less than 15 pounds, except for Julia, who is about 35 pounds, it’s always concerned me that although we live in a subdivision, what I would call the ‘burbs’, Louisiana is a place that is more like a horse than a piece of land. It will always be wild. All accounted for. Whew! Then what?

I’ve made jokes about how we have to take back our yard from the jungle on a weekly, daily schedule, or the natural, untamed elements will own the spot. I don’t care if you’ve concreted your drive or installed an in-ground pool, the wildness of Louisiana will not be deterred.

That’s why I love Louisiana. That’s also why it is imperative that we take seriously the hazards for our small pets that are ever present in our own backyards.

The prey? A small bird hiding in the bamboo. The bloodless, frighteningly efficient execution was over in less than 3 seconds. The dance of celebration went on for another 30 seconds (pictured left). The surprisingly delicate consumption of the hapless Chick-a-dee took less than 15 minutes. At meal’s end, one scathing glance at the photog (pictured right), then off! The only evidence of the wild-kingdom struggle was a few downy feathers.

I got these, and other more graphic shots, lying on my stomach with my 80-400mm 5.6 lens stuck through the doggie door. What a great blind the utility room became. Across the yard was what appeared to be an immature Red-tailed Hawk. My dozing dogs, luckily inside, were awakened by my sprawled legs interfering with their morning nap. They thought this was a great time to play tickle-all-over while I was on the floor where they could reach. If they suspected what was just on the other side of the door, the photographic opportunity would be over.

This 22″ long, 50″ wing-spanned guy or gal was undisturbed by my clicking camera, a mere 30′ from his or her picnic area. I would guess her/his weight to be 4 pounds. I give you these statistics because I want you to compare this wild creature’s size to the size and weight of that beloved pet on your lap. These animals can fly away with anything of less weight than they are. They can do damage to larger animals with their sharp talons and beak.

This is not to say we should be afraid of these primordial and beautiful creatures. We simply need to respect and protect. Respect them, and protect our small family members. Also, love and appreciate a land which still supports this life.

Let’s talk about the photographic elements of these captures. The one on the left – 1/160, f5.3, ISO 800. How in the world is any bird, even the least bit in focus at that shutter speed? It is shocking, really. This was in the beginning, when I was pressing buttons, changing settings, viewing the histogram, and shooting as quickly as I could. Expose right, expose right (see Shoot Right for explanation), I kept screaming in my head. At ISO 800, the Nikon D200 will be noisy. It can be fixed if I expose right.

The image on the right – 1/320, f5.3, ISO 800. By this time I had quite a few captures, though none of them great, I was sure, but I felt I had time to change things up a little more. I changed the mode to Shutter Speed Priority. I found that I could shoot at 1/320. The camera picked f5.3 and it’s a fairly decently exposed image, though still not as noise-free and tack sharp as I would have liked.

Neither capture is really worth celebrating, except as a topic for discussion. So let’s discuss.

The Magnificent Sunny Parakeet

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:15:52 +0000

Mango The Sun Conure (Click to enlarge)

Or the Sun Conure. Meet Mango. A more gorgeous bird will be difficult to find. He’s precocious and sweet, outgoing and just a little bit flaky, but always a small magnificent bundle of feathers. He arrived at Sisters Pet Pics studio with his family in tow, mom, dad and dogs and thought the world was his. Mango is easy to love, for his beauty and his large boisterous personality.

Photographing domestic bird pets is a balancing act. Safety is always paramount and the photographer must take every safeguard to maintain the safety of everyone in the room. Even if the bird’s wing feathers have been clipped, it could be very easy for an escape, so a secure space is imperative. Other animals in the room may not act as they would at home. I always insist upon the confinement of all but the subject to insure ultimate safety precaution.

Choosing a backdrop for a beautiful bird is important. For birds I like a high contrast setting, but it might be very interesting to see Mango on a mottled red, orange and yellow background as well. For me, a good bird image has to accentuate each feather. Take a look at some bird magazines for inspiration. Every centerfold will have a close look at tack-sharp feathers. This is the goal. You can see some new pin feathers on Mango that he hasn’t attended to yet.

I like this bird and I like this capture. What do you think? Please don’t think you don’t know enough to comment or be intimidated in any way. To improve your photography you must be able to critique another image. It will help you. It’s helped me. Also, I have yet to capture an image that cannot be improved. Did you get that? I have yet to capture an image that cannot be improved! So find the failings or let us know what you like about what you see. Need some assistance with how to comment or subscribe to the newsletter? See Hello Fellow Pet Photographers And Enthusiasts and How This Works.