So instead of starting a new discussion everytime I get new visitors or decent shots of wildlife in the garden I shall just keep adding to this one.
So today it was the Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 of them chasing each other around the trees
Just managed to catch the 2 of them together
Then it was Woodpecker v Starlings....yes I see yous up there
Move out of my way as am coming up...
I said moooooove...
you were warned...
ah...peace to eat at last..
I Dont mind sharing with the dunnock though, just those pesky starlings I dont like lol
Dunnock, robin and thrush happily hopping about together
Gorgeousredwing still around
Flying without wings.....
I just like the different colours of the trees and sky not all grey for a change!
Mr & Mrs RRB (bad pic but it difficult to get them together)
and up last its a wee lollipop
Think that will do for today as I have probably bored you all long enough lol
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
Cracking photos Lynda, and you've managed to get the moon crisp and clear.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Linda257 said:Thanks Mike....but why did the camera blackout the blue sky???
The camera will blackout the sky because you're exposure is set to the moon, which is bright compared to the sky, so to get an average ambience the sky becomes darkened.
I'm not sure what camera you have, but I'm guessing you'll be using full auto exposure settings.
The Canon Powershot SX50HS looks a pretty decent and versatile camera, which is a very good start.
The rotating knob on the top right is your main tool, called the Mode Dial, these are the settings on the dial:
Movie Symbol = Movie/video.
0 = Creative Filters, like setting scenes, but using various effects
SCN = To photograph using various scene modes, most likely Landscape, Portrait and many more
Sport Mode = Sets the camera for fast action, utilising wide apertures and fast shutter speeds
Movie Digest = create a movie of the days photos, like a slide show.
AUTO is exactly as it says, full auto.
P = Program Mode, which allows limited exposure control, usually for focus points
TV = Time Value, that is the shutter speed control
AV = Aperture Value, which sets the depth of field to enable crisp edges on landscapes, or blurred edges for macros or portraits
M = Full Manual, where you set the shutter, aperture and any other settings, like the ISO, to your personal choices
There is another rotary control on the back panel, with among other settings, the letters ISO, can be helpful, but at this stage, I’d leave it at AUTO.
If you’re confident enough to set the ISO to 100, which basically slows the camera exposure settings to allow more light through.
The best start for now is the rotary dial at the top right panel.
If you're confident enough, set the ISO to 100.
Set the Mode Dial on the top panel to TV, then using the rotating dial on the back panel, you can then dial the desired shutter speeds.
For the moon, to aim for a brighter sky, set TV to 1/100 sec or lower, however, you may lose some of the crispness of the moons craters.
Then, play around from there, raising and lowering the TV setting until you get a pleasing photo.
Don't be frightened to take many photos, so when you view them, you can note what settings were used to get the desired photo.
Even pro-photographers can take many images just to get the one desired image, and being digital, the only cost is time, so play around and enjoy exploring the different settings.
The TV setting can also be a bonus with action shots of birds in flight.
ISO to AUTO
Using the rotating dial on the back panel, you can then dial the desired shutter speeds.
TV 1/2000 for small birds
TV set to 1/1000 for larger birds
I hope that helps you to explore. The camera is robust, and you'll not damage the settings by experimentation of the many settings available.
REMEMBER, when you’ve finished, to set the ISO back to AUTO
Linda257 said:Brilliant Mike...thanks so much
You're welcome.
The manual can be very daunting, I downloaded a copy, all 286 pages of it!
Fortunately the controls are pretty standard across the Canon range of Bridge and DSLR's, so it was easy to find the key modes to select.
I also looked up some stuff on the community, from Whistling Joe, that may be of some help. I had a quick search through Whistling Joe’s Getting off Auto thread, and copied the links of a couple of threads you may find helpful.
The third link is to the topics index, which has quite a few other topics worth reading later on.
Getting off Auto: https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/photography/114495/getting-off-auto
Getting off Auto - Depth of Field; https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/photography/196157/getting-off-auto---depth-of-field
Getting off Auto - Index: https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/photography/194529/getting-off-auto---index
Without complicating things too much, photography can be very much trial and error, though you do find what settings will suit various scenes best to narrow things down a lot. Whatever, enjoy what you do, it’s fun, creative and don’t worry if things don’t quite go the way you’d like, that’s why we have the Bad pics of fab wildlife - part 2!
https://community.rspb.org.uk/chat/f/the-tea-rooms/113733/bad-pics-of-fab-wildlife---part-2/1089419#pifragment-4313=110
Linda257 said:Aww you didnt have to do all that Mike but I really do appreciate it. Thanks again
You're welcome