# The best advice



## Don Haines (Nov 26, 2016)

What is the best advice that you have been given about photography?

For me, it was about bird photography. It was about getting a bird blind and setting up a natural looking perch for the birds to land on. So, I got a hunting blind, put a comfortable chair inside, ran a power cord for electricity (a heater in the winter is LUXURY!). I then placed a branch between two feeders and drilled some holes that I fill with nuts or suet.

Today, I watched a steady stream of birds come and go, all oblivious to my presence..... sure beats sitting in the cold with a long lens. (BTW, the woodpecker picture is the full image.... you sure can get close!)

Thanks for the tip Jon!


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## Ryananthony (Nov 26, 2016)

Not that I have any experience with this sort of set up, but from my first glance at your set up and seeing others do the same, I think a thinner branch would be more appealing. Also, possibly one with smaller twigs and branches etc. sticking off for more variety in where a bird could land (different looking images). For now, this looks like a great set up, and one I wish I could have.

Good luck with the set up, I look forward to seeing how the setup may evolve, and the images attained from it.


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## DominoDude (Nov 26, 2016)

Don Haines said:


> What is the best advice that you have been given about photography?
> ...


Good topic, Don!

The best I've been given was to use *BBF*. It makes shooting a whole lot easier - primarily for birds and wildlife, but as soon as you get the hang of it it works for just about anything you intend to shoot.
The 2nd best have to be to study some of the books by *Brutus Östling*, or attend one of his workshops. (He also mentions blinds and setting up dead branches pre-loaded with seeds, nuts, or pieces of suet or to put a knob of butter on the back of the branch so it isn't visible in the photos.)

If I were to give any advice for birders and wildlife photographers it would be: Turn off the sound on your phone, and try to minimize your typical human features - don't reek of perfume for example.


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## Pookie (Nov 27, 2016)

Best advice given to any newbie... stop ruining beautiful images with huge watermarks.


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## nats1mom (Nov 27, 2016)

Wow, I think this is great advice; great photos! Thank you for sharing.


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## Don Haines (Nov 27, 2016)

Pookie said:


> Best advice given to any newbie... stop ruining beautiful images with huge watermarks.


For the web I use big watermarks, for clients, either a tiny watermark or none at all.....


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## Don Haines (Nov 27, 2016)

Ryananthony said:


> Not that I have any experience with this sort of set up, but from my first glance at your set up and seeing others do the same, I think a thinner branch would be more appealing. Also, possibly one with smaller twigs and branches etc. sticking off for more variety in where a bird could land (different looking images). For now, this looks like a great set up, and one I wish I could have.
> 
> Good luck with the set up, I look forward to seeing how the setup may evolve, and the images attained from it.


I was planning on adding in a few thinner branches to perch on..... just take a power drill, make the hole, and insert the branches.

If you have a distracting background, you can hang a camo tarp behind your target and get rid of distractions.....


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## Orangutan (Nov 27, 2016)

The best advice I ever received was "keep your day job."  ;D


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## rfdesigner (Nov 27, 2016)

Best advice?

The mount is the most important piece of kit, more important than all the rest of the kit put together (astrophotography)
Off camera flash is amazing, affordable and nothing like as hard to do as you'd think.
A great photo taken on cheap kit is better than a ho-hum photo taken with the best kit in the world.


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## DominoDude (Nov 27, 2016)

Orangutan said:


> The best advice I ever received was "keep your day job."  ;D



Haha! ;D
I hope they won't tell me that. I (still) don't have a day job.


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## svensemann (Nov 27, 2016)

For Landscape photography: "BUY A GOOD TRIPOD. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF KIT!"

If I had been told this before I bought two crappy ones... :


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## Click (Nov 27, 2016)

Orangutan said:


> The best advice I ever received was "keep your day job."  ;D



;D ;D ;D


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## dak723 (Nov 27, 2016)

The best advice??....Ignore everything you read on the internet!! 8)


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## Mikehit (Nov 28, 2016)

dak723 said:


> The best advice??....Ignore everything you read on the internet!! 8)



Along the lines 'everything I say is a lie' 8)


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## chauncey (Nov 28, 2016)

Your set-up will allow you to learn the basics until you consistently get razor sharp images...
then try to work on your environment. Those store-bought feeders aren't at all photogenic.


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## TAW (Nov 28, 2016)

The best advice I received was...

Once you start getting paid for jobs, it is easy for photography to stop becoming a hobby and start becoming a job. Once it becomes a job, you have to start justifying what you are spending!

Thanks Don for all your enjoyable posts and pictures over the years.

tom


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## Cory (Nov 28, 2016)

"The simpler the better." and
"The best zoom lens is my own 2 feet."


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## mistercactus (Nov 28, 2016)

Shoot first, ask questions later!


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## Mikehit (Nov 28, 2016)

Get the shot as you see it, then start messing around with angles, DOF, lighting etc.


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## Maiaibing (Jan 3, 2017)

Don Haines said:


> What is the best advice that you have been given about photography?



Difficult, but I know the one I pass around the most (apart for the #1 newbie advice: go CLOSER!), which is the Red Rule. See Red? Shoot it! Highly recommended.


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## Cory (Jan 3, 2017)

Just say "no" to most volunteer requests.


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## drmikeinpdx (Jan 3, 2017)

Use a large watermark, but don't hide the naughty bits with it.


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## bholliman (Jan 4, 2017)

Thanks for starting this thread and sharing your bird set-up Don. Nice pictures. I need to do something like this. Our feeder is close to the house and I sometimes sit in our garage with a window open to shoot, but the background isn't ideal. Setting up a blind nearby would allow me to assure a nice background and be a little closer.



Don Haines said:


> What is the best advice that you have been given about photography?



The best tip I received was from an experienced bird photographer who showed me how to set my camera up to shoot wildlife in Manual mode with auto ISO. I use this all the time now with much better results than with Tv or Av modes.


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## lightthief (Jan 4, 2017)

Use RAW-Files... :


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## Maiaibing (Jan 4, 2017)

bholliman said:


> The best tip I received was from an experienced bird photographer who showed me how to set my camera up to shoot wildlife in Manual mode with auto ISO. I use this all the time now with much better results than with Tv or Av modes.



So you fix the aperture and speed and let the ISO float?


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## Ryananthony (Jan 4, 2017)

Maiaibing said:


> bholliman said:
> 
> 
> > The best tip I received was from an experienced bird photographer who showed me how to set my camera up to shoot wildlife in Manual mode with auto ISO. I use this all the time now with much better results than with Tv or Av modes.
> ...




I do this as well. I would rather have the ISO float, then have my aperture or shutter speed change. Since my 1dx allows exposure Comp I find it works perfect for BIF. Unfortuently my 5d3 doesn't have exposure Comp (in manual), so I would set ISO, and use the set button to change ISO quickly on the fly. But I find auto ISO works better for me.


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## bholliman (Jan 4, 2017)

Maiaibing said:


> bholliman said:
> 
> 
> > The best tip I received was from an experienced bird photographer who showed me how to set my camera up to shoot wildlife in Manual mode with auto ISO. I use this all the time now with much better results than with Tv or Av modes.
> ...



Yes, auto ISO works great with the 5DsR, especially useful in variable lighting situations. I meter to make sure the ISO will be in an acceptable range. I allow some latitude in the shutter and aperture settings so the ISO can float both ways if needed. When I first started doing this I sometimes clipped highlights by using settings that left my ISO at 100 or 125, so no room to drop lower for a brigher exposure. Now I usually start with settings that use ISO 160 on a sunny day.


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## Mikehit (Jan 4, 2017)

Another vote for auto ISO - I mainly use it with Av and a minimum shutter speed of 1/2000 (for birds in flight or 1/500 for perched birds). It selects the minimum ISO first and floats the shutter speed until it hits 1/2000 then ISO increases. I am now experimenting with full manual and auto ISO - I can appreciate how you want not only a certain shutter speed for action but also an aperture for known DOF.


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## Ryananthony (Jan 4, 2017)

Mikehit said:


> Another vote for auto ISO - I mainly use it with Av and a minimum shutter speed of 1/2000 (for birds in flight or 1/500 for perched birds). It selects the minimum ISO first and floats the shutter speed until it hits 1/2000 then ISO increases. I am now experimenting with full manual and auto ISO - I can appreciate how you want not only a certain shutter speed for action but also an aperture for known DOF.



I could never figure out AV with auto ISO for birding. What do you do if your following a bird in flight, who then lands on a branch for example maybe in shadows? 1/2000 wouldn't be needed, but then I would have to change my shooting mode to another custom mode with a lower shutterspeed limit, or change to manual, then adjust all my settings. I've read a lot of people who do use it, so maybe I'm missing something.


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## Mikehit (Jan 4, 2017)

Ryananthony said:


> Mikehit said:
> 
> 
> > Another vote for auto ISO - I mainly use it with Av and a minimum shutter speed of 1/2000 (for birds in flight or 1/500 for perched birds). It selects the minimum ISO first and floats the shutter speed until it hits 1/2000 then ISO increases. I am now experimenting with full manual and auto ISO - I can appreciate how you want not only a certain shutter speed for action but also an aperture for known DOF.
> ...



I am currently experimenting with C1 having minimum shutter speed 1/2000 (in flight) and C2 at 1/500 (stationary) so all I need do is switch the dial one notch. As someone really used to Av, this is no different to being in manual and spinning the shutter speed dial when the bird rests up. 
For small woodland birds I am finding that they fidget and twitch quite a lot and even 1/1000 is sometimes too slow to freeze their motion so I sometimes don't change things at all. 

I don't see either as being superior, just what you are used to. 
When I had the 7D, I found it quite easy to switch between Av, M and C1/C2/C3 simply by the number of clicks on the mode dial so I am aiming for a set-up where I have the C1/C2 as above, with C3 set up for macro and manual mode configured with with auto-ISO so I have all options available to me.


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## YuengLinger (Jan 5, 2017)

Great thread, Don. Makes me wonder if you are a teacher...

Best single point of advice, which took me years to understand and longer to use competently, spot metering for portraits.


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## IglooEater (Jan 5, 2017)

Shoot RAW

Think before you click

Spend more on trips less on gear.


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## geekpower (Jan 5, 2017)

shoot more

zooming with your feet is not actually a thing (perspective and framing are two independent characteristics)

shoot more

don't be an available light snob (get a flash)

shoot more

get the flash off the camera (even a few inches makes a difference)

shoot more

shoot more


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## AlanF (Jan 5, 2017)

Mikehit said:


> Ryananthony said:
> 
> 
> > Mikehit said:
> ...



For birding, I use M with high speed, lens wide open and auto ISO for BIF; C1 with Av wide open and fixed ISO 640 for perched or standing birds; C2 ditto + 1 1ev for birds partly against the sky; and C2 ditto + 2 ev against very bright background. All RAW of course to allow any further correction of exposure etc. As 800 mm hand-held is now my usual with the 5DIV, it's become more important to have high shutter speeds. Even when resting the camera on a ledge or on a tripod, mirror or shutter shock is amplified at long focal lengths. On the 5DS R, I usually stick to the bare 100-400mm and eschew extenders.


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## Besisika (Jan 5, 2017)

geekpower said:


> shoot more
> 
> zooming with your feet is not actually a thing (perspective and framing are two independent characteristics)
> 
> ...


I wish you were my lady friend. I would shoot you (more) every single morning, until you die (I mean - deaths do us apart)


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## AlanF (Jan 5, 2017)

Besisika said:


> geekpower said:
> 
> 
> > shoot more
> ...



A feisty young lady would no doubt give you the advice to zoom out with your feet, preferably starting from the edge of a cliff.


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## mackguyver (Jan 5, 2017)

The best advice is also the simplest: Turn Around.

Many times over the years I have been shooting what I thought was a good subject, only to remember this advice, turn around, and see a much better subject. I have also missed out on great shots, mostly wildlife, when I have failed to remember this. I don't have many examples of the okay vs. better shots, but here's a decent one:

I was taking a ho-hum photo of a hotel, then I turned around to see...






...A pretty spectacular sunset over the golf course.


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## unfocused (Jan 5, 2017)

mackguyver said:


> The best advice is also the simplest: Turn Around...



Yes. Definitely. I've been to the Grand Canyon a few times and I'm always amused at people lining the rim trying to shoot directly into a sunrise when the really spectacular show is the light reflecting on the opposite end of the canyon as the sun rises over the horizon and turns the canyon walls brilliantly red and yellow.


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## geekpower (Jan 5, 2017)

AlanF said:


> Besisika said:
> 
> 
> > I wish you were my lady friend. I would shoot you (more) every single morning, until you die (I mean - deaths do us apart)
> ...



well that escalated quickly


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