Riders on the storm

[Mickoid]

A good title for a song I reckon but these guys were enjoying the strong winds before Melbourne's storms arrived later that night. Taken on the outskirts of Melbourne 5 min drive from my house. 500mm f8 mirror lens, Canon 550d, 1600iso.

[Crater101]

Birds can be notoriously difficult to photograph at the best of times. These are nicely done!



Now I have to go and listen to the song... :cool:

[Mickoid]

Thanks for the compliment Warren. The strong winds were making it difficult for the Wedgies to stay still, so they were continuously moving. The mirror lens is all manual requiring manual focus adjustments. Not long after I took these few shots, they just disappeared and I never saw them again. They'll be back another day, maybe on one that's more settled than this one was.

Yeah, the Doors had some great songs, it's good to revisit these old classics and appreciate how well they were produced. :thumbsup:

[Crater101]

I have a rule with our feathered friends - if they're on a branch or otherwise still, I'll try to photograph them; if they're in the air, I don't even try anymore. Which is why I found these so nicely done. I can appreciate them even more knowing that the focus was manual, that takes a skilled hand.

[Mickoid]

Appreciate your comments Warren, the trick is to make sure your shutter speed is fast enough. Fortunately I still have a steady hand but setting the ISO high helps achieves this. The 500mm lens gives good reach, though the fixed f8 aperture can be a drawback. I set my exposure to AV setting and let the camera choose the shutter speed.

[Crater101]

Ha! Yep, tried all of those at one time or another. Didn't do me any good at all.
Some of the best shots I ever got of birds were years ago in Kakadu - when they were perched and pretty much stationary.
Again, I salute what you've achieved!:thumbsup:

[raymo]

Hi Michael, your image reminded me of one I took about 18yrs ago in Peru.
Its a condor of course, not an eagle, about 3 metres wingspan.
raymo

[Hans Tucker]

Or ....On The Wings Of an Eagle or for Raymo .. El Condor Pasa

Cool shots though :thumbsup:*

https://youtu.be/Ho4igoIlrro