I am easing into retirement and took up birding in 2021. My goal is to learn as much as possible about the birds I am photographing and to take pictures that I can print at 8x10 to 11x14 with high resolution.  I purchased an Olympus OM-1 rig with a 300mm prime, and a 100-400mm zoom, which I use most often, and both the 12.4x and 2x teleconverters. I made the choice to go 4:3 because we plan to travel and I wanted something very light weight. This combo fits that perfectly. I also bought the Spyder belt/holster, which takes all of the weight off my neck and shoulders. I have gotten some great pointers from the first session of this course and am looking forward to learning more and improving my skills.

One gear option worth mentioning is to combine different types of equipment in a hybrid technology. My preferred system when I'm in the field, out in the open (not in a hide) and know I may have to wait some time for a shot is to combine a tripod with a bean bag. I assemble the tripod with a pan/tilt head and place a bean bag over the head. I prefer to shoot hand-held using a BlackRapid harness to hold my Canon R5 with a RF 100-500mm lens. While waiting for birds, I hold the camera in both hands and rest them on the bean bag in front of me at the level of my chin. This takes the weight off the harness round my shoulder while allowing me the fastest possible response to shooting a bird coming at any speed, at any height, in any direction and on any flight path. While it is true that a tripod/gimbal head combo provides the most stable and agile mechanical technology for shooting birds, it has two drawbacks compared to the tripod/bean bag hybrid for capturing birds in flight: i. A tripod/gimbal head is very heavy to carry, particularly in combination with a prime supertelephoto lens (500-600mm). If you have to walk any distance,particularly uphill over rough terrain in windy conditions, it can be a major challenge. ii. Although a tripod/gimbal head allows a more rapid and nimble response than using a pan/tilt or ball head, it is slower and clumsier than using the same lens hand-held. When I see a bird approaching while using my hybrid system, I simply lift the camera to my eye for hand-held shooting and I'm up and running. If necessary, I'll take a step to the left or right, or step back to give myself unimpeded swing room.

I purchased my photography equipment about 15 years ago and at the time was too busy with work and unable to spend much time using it. I have a Canon EOS 20D and a Canon 100-400 zoom lens. I am taking time to practice with this camera equipment in various settings before deciding which camera is the best as an upgrade. I will stay with Canon since I have several Canon lenses already. I recently was able to spend a day near Galveston TX photographing shorebirds along the gulf coast.  Has anyone tried the mirrorless cameras? I was wondering how they compare to the DSLR's.

My hope is to take clearer photos of birds closer up. I currently have a zoom lens that only goes up to 250mm so I am planning on getting one that gets much higher. From what I found, a lot of the photos that I liked used zoom lens. Two that I saw a couple times were 200-500mm and 150-600mm so I will look at those and see what I like. I have an older camera model - canon eos rebel t2i so I might also look into get a slight upgrade in camera. I am having a hard time choosing between dslr or mirrorless. Any thoughts?

I wanted to take some clear, big bird shots, I was using a Nikon D50 a few years ago and this year I use  Nikon D750 with an 80-400mm lens. I found that the birds did get bigger with the faster focus speed, but they were still not very sharp. Recently I tried the Nikon P100, and although it has a large focal length, it sometimes slows down to focus.

I want to make sharp images of birds from a distance. I have a budget. I have a couple of good Canon lenses so I want to stick with Canon. I’m thinking that a used Canon 7d Mii and a Sigma 100 - 600 would “get my foot in the door” for birding and wildlife photography in a way that I want at a relatively reasonable price. I could learn with these and take pretty sharp pictures? Or should I invest in a camera with more pixels? How much do pixels really matter when you get over 20 megapixels? Should I try to get a 30 megapixel camera? It would be a pretty big jump in price.

I just bought a bridge camera last Spring, a Nikon P950.  I am  a moderately good birder, but just for my area.  I got the camera to help with  bird identifying, and to use the photos as reference for my painting and sculpture.  For now, this is more than enough, and very satisfying so far.  I don't know that I want to expand beyond this, as I already have too many media in my toolbox.  What it has done for me more than anything, is to heighten my appreciation and respect for serious photographers.  This is wonderful when it works, but it is not easy.

My goals for taking this course are to become better acclimated to my camera's features and expand my very basic photography knowledge. So far I find myself taking photos in order to share birds with friends/family (whether they are interested or not), keep track of birds seen, dabble in creating photo cards and to sharpen my identification skills. I'm interested in using my photos to design my own greeting cards for personal use and possibly charitable purposes in the future, depending on how I progress. I may need to upgrade from my bridge camera to get the quality of card photos I'd like but don't feel as though I have maximized its potential output yet. I enjoy capturing unusual bird action and expressions of emotions. 

I've learned that I like photos taken with cameras like the canon EOS R7 or R3. I also like high focus and high detail photos. I like photos when the bird takes up most of the image but you can still see the background. My main goal with photograph is to take highly detailed photos of birds to be able to better identify and understand them. I also want to take photos that are as good as if a professional had taken them.

My main goal is to document, or add photos to my checklists.  But mostly to expand my birding experience with a new skill.  I'm also interested in documenting my backyard birds through the seasons.  I've recently upgraded a bridge camera and phone camera to a mirrorless setup, Fujifilm X-T30 with the 55-200mm and 100-400mm lens.  They say it's light weight, but i have nothing to compare that too.  I wanted equipment that is easy to access and easy to manage when out in the woods or down by the river.  And I think I have that. The 55-200mm lens seems to work perfect for my backyard bird watching.  

My two main goals are photography for identification (mostly when I'm visiting a new area) and photography of natural and unique behaviors. Many of my photos feel "lucky", and while I feel luck has its place in photography, it would be helpful to build the skill behind a photo as well. I learned of the importance of tripods and blinds, thanks to this lesson. The tripod I have been using was one used for a scope, and while it is decent, it does not necessarily hold the weight of my camera/lens. I thought I could get by for a while, but now I understand the value in a good tripod! It is likely to be my next investment, photography-wise. As for blinds, I've been wearing dark clothing in the field, and it has worked pretty well. However, if I were to photograph more in the forest, I see the value in camouflage clothing or a blind and in preparing a blind before taking photographs.

My husband and I enjoy walking and bird watching. We have both a DSLR with a 70-300mm lens and a Sony RX10 bridge camera which we purchased recently. We are very much enjoying the new camera as we are much more likely to grab it and take it with us on a walk than the DSLR which is a much heavier camera. We simply want to get some good shots to enjoy and share with other birders.

With each step I take in the course I see that bird photography is a great compendium of details. I will certainly strive to acquire better equipment and accessories for photographing birds. For the moment I will use my dark clothes and my Nikon Coolplix P900 camera

I am very much a beginner in bird photography. Before I invest a lot of money, I want to improve my technique when it comes to timing, lighting, and so forth. Then I will upgrade my lens from my current 50-200 mm, buy a teleconverter, tripod, and gimbal. I enjoy photographing shorebirds and forest birds just so that I can examine them more closely without disturbing them.

I am working on the equipment I want, and feel I am getting close, with a Nikon D500, 200-500mm zoom, 1.4x teleconverter, and a solid tripod with gimbal.  I really want to work on composition, field technique, and being more thoughtful with my settings.

I do a lot of hiking, and am keen to get better pictures of the birds I see in the backcountry. Often but not always these are small birds that are constantly moving; and on top of that they're usually in low light conditions too! I'd like to learn to take pictures of birds in flight as well. For hiking I generally use a 24-240mm lens, which is very versatile (landscapes to people shots to birds), but sometimes I'd like to be able to have greater reach. I also own a 200-600mm telephoto, but this is far too heavy to take hiking - it works best on a tripod with a gimbal head. So I've recently invested in a 100-400mm telephoto, which while not exactly light, is still light enough to handhold and take on easy hiking trips. I also got a LowePro toploader case to use with it, so I can walk with my hands free but still have the camera easily accessible. Here are some pictures taken using the new lens to work towards the above goals. Blue ducks are torrent ducks found only in fast flowing mountain streams. Here are a couple vocalising: Fantails are fast moving insectivores that are always in constant motion. Here's one photographed while hiking, although I get them in my garden too: A white-fronted tern in flight:

This was a very helpful exercise.  Good use of the Macauley library photos.  Definitely helped me realize i want some more zoom capability in my next camera (current one only goes up 152 mm).  I want to be able to take good, clear photo's of birds at my feeder, and at my local parks, and when I go on birding outings, such as to Cape May, NJ.  Not trying to win awards, but just be out in nature and capture it and share it with friends and family.

I have multiple goals that I use my photography to provide.  I love nature, landscapes, birds, flowers, and like to focus on different series to tell the story.  I paint, draw and am learning to do nature journaling.  I like to document the birds I see, I participate in Feeder Watch, Nest Watch, and I study the birds in my neighborhood as well as attending bird festivals and planning travel to areas that have migration activity to see new species.  I have on old Nikon D90 work horse with a telephoto 28-200mm, and I use a 2x teleconverter.  It has been a great camera, but I am at a crossroad thinking of upping my equipment capability with a more powerful zoom 200-500mm and making the technology transition to a mirrorless camera.  Still trying to decide which brand and version would serve me best. Pat

My goals are pretty simple, I think. I want to take clear, close up photos of the birds I see, at my feeders, around the lake where I live, and on outings, mainly for sharing online. I have a hand-me-down Panasonic Lumix bridge camera that I'm just learning to use, a teleconverter, and a serviceable tripod. I'll keep note of the benefits and trade-offs so that when/if I'm ready to upgrade, I'll have a good idea of what's next. I also picked up a Vortex scope with smartphone adaptor and a better tripod last month, so I can work on getting a good view of the pair of bald eagles nesting across the lake, about 1/4-mile away. I'm also researching camera bags so that I can take the show on the road when the mood strikes.

I have been an amateur photographer for years. I love to go the photo studio, arrange the set of lights and get my models in there. Usually they follow instructions pretty well. As a result, I have had beautiful shots (some of the friends I have taken pictures to, keep using them in their social media after several years). With birds is quite different. Birds usually do not stay still, they tend to hide or, after seeing me with curiosity, just fly away before I even get the camera ready. I have hundreds of photos of lonely tree branches and grounds full of leaves but without any birds on it. Then, one of my goals, right now, is to understand birds better, so I can figure out when and under which conditions I can get the best picture of them –and to stop dreaming about the easiness of working with my models in the photo studio. My gear is really basic (Canon 90D and a 70-300 mm lens), but enough for now, as I am starting to learn. When I got more expertise, I will need improved optics, for sure!

though my bird photos are ok or better then ok as I have been told. I want to make faster and better better settings when out , on the fly so to speak, so I do not miss the shot. like any thing else need to practice and read the light and how the subject is moving .

By photographing birds, I observe them more closely and understand them better; the process is more important than the goal. I am drawn to photos that show off the behaviour and personality of the birds, putting them in a living context rather than prioritizing a pretty or artistic shot, although it is great when that happens too. For me, the plain browns are as interesting as the sparklers. I love the razor-sharp images that professionals get, but I would have to shed twenty years and go back to the gym before I could carry all the gear. I use a Nikon D500 with a 300 mm prime lens. After listening to Melissa, I will use my tripod more often, perhaps with a gimbal, and I may get a 1.4X teleconverter, something that I have so far shied away from. I take a lot of shots, mostly throwaways, and am striving to understand my camera better to improve my strike rate. Little corellas (Cacatua sanguinea), Nikon D500, 300 mm 1/1250s, F/8, ISO 320 with 0.67eV.

I looked at lots of images in the Macaulay library and I'm very drawn to crisp, close-up shots of birds in their natural environments.  I love it when a photo is so clear you can see the individual barbs of the bird's feather, or the tiny feathers of the eye-ring, or a reflection in the bird's eye.  One photo I saw captured a small droplet of water or dew on top of a chickadee's head!  This is the kind of photo I'd be thrilled to take. I currently own a Nikon D5100 which I've had for 8 or 9 years.  I have a Nikon 70-300mm zoom lens and a Nikon 300mm fixed lens, which I use with a 1.4x teleconverter.  I got the 300mm used/refurbished from Adorama, and it squeaks when it focuses, but it works well enough.  So... even though my equipment is not brand new, I feel it fits my ability level for the time being. My primary goal for this course is to learn more about how to use the equipment I have - as well as learn new techniques for taking great pictures.  Over the years I've taken some pretty good shots of birds - but I always feel this happens by accident, not by design.  I'm hoping this course helps me increase my knowledge of how to use my camera and lenses to capture better photos of birds!

I've been taking ok photos of wildlife for quite a time with my Olympus OMD EM1, had a Mk1 to start with then upgraded to Mk2 when my original took too much of a beating and died. I've been considering upgrading to a Canon full body for awhile because their glass is something else. Most of the photos I was drawn to for sharpness and colour were taken with Canon EOS bodies and zooms. A friend who is a professional photographer recently bought the EOS R6 and reckons, although not full body, that it's pretty good! I think I'm going to go for it. I also need to replace my tripod. I wanted a carbon fibre, I cheaped out, I have regrets (too heavy, awkward). I've been getting by with propping my camera on rocks and a little gorilla pod for ages, but it's not great. End game is that I want to consistently take photos that I'm proud of. Be nice to have a hobby sideline selling the odd print. I go to some great places and see some great wildlife, with work and hiking in my personal life - I should be taking better photos. Hence this course.

Enjoying the course! I’m curious what sort of head to use with the monopod. Thanks in advance!