Hello! Looking to learn more.

[RichMan]

Hello from Florida. I just started about 1.5 years ago with a zoom point and shoot camera and got heavy into bird photography. I moved quickly up to a Canon R5 with a 100-500 RF lens, my first "real" camera. I've got some really good shots that I am proud of, but haven't yet got that shot where I say "That's the one!" I have a Masters in Optics and have worked with imaging systems my whole career, so I understand the mechanics, but taking a photograph with an artistic eye is a completely different animal (or bird ). I'm joining here to learn more about my camera and bird photography techniques. I still struggle with changing settings in dynamic conditions and miss a lot of shots. i am Looking forward to learning from members with a lot more experience, skill, and talent.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Welcome Richard and thank you for joining up here. If you have any questions about your gear or this forum please don't hesitate to ask. Once you have your settings dialled in it's just a matter of practice so that muscle memory kicks in when you need to change settings quickly. Which settings are you struggling to change?

 

[Jake Shoots Birds]

Welcome, Rich, both to the forum and to the world of wildlife photography.

First thing I'd say is that while you're starting out with a kit it took me a dozen years to evolve into (congrats!!), part of that evolution involved struggling with the very same things you are, and unfortunately they only come with time and work. Part of that work is to profit off of the work and generosity of so many folks who share their knowledge on YouTube. I transitioned from Nikon DSLRs a year ago, so I'd already spent a lot of time watching Steve Perry's videos. While they are often Nikon centric, he has many that speak to just the techniques required to make a great photo, including specifics like birds in flight, waterfowl, and others.

Since switching to Canon I've regularly watched Jan Wegener's videos, particularly as he was transitioning from DSLRs to the R5 and 100-500mm. They are easy to understand, well paced (perhaps a little too slow), and really speak to the various functions and focusing modes. There's also a guy named Ron Bielefeld who I had the pleasure of shooting with a couple weeks ago when he was up my way. He's a Florida wildlife shooter who's on YouTube as Whistling Wings Photography and like me he's a recent Canon convert. He only started posting a little less than two years ago, but for the newer Canon shooter who wants to shoot what Ron shoots he has some good information. Not sure where you are in FL but he's down in Sebastian. He does some pretty cool outings, including one for Snail Kites which I may try and do one time when I'm down that way (we have family in Deland).

I've been shooting birds and wildlife almost exclusively for a decade and I'm still figuring stuff out, so don't get frustrated. The good news is that the tools you have are among the best I've used in all that time, so a lot of your work will be with the part behind the camera - something that never stops. The nice thing is that there are so many places in your state where you can get out and shoot, and meet others who do the same. Maybe look for some club meetups or similar things where you can meet other photographers and maybe pick up tips and techniques just by watching. We all still get frustrated by the missed shots, so know you're in good company.

 

[RichMan]

Jake,
Thanks! I watch all those guys. I like Steve Perry's instructions, and Ron Bielefeld took one of my favorite bird photos.