Make A Suet Log For Better Photographs

 

While we’re on the subject of cheap, effective, easy to make feeder stands, I wanted to pass along one of my favorite perches for Woodpeckers (and loads of other birds). While the previous stand I blogged about was cheap (less than $20 - link on the right side of the page), this one is darned near free! Below is a wide-shot of the feeder:

 

As you can imagine, it doesn’t take a degree in feeder-building to construct this thing. EVERYTHING you need to build this is as follows:

      o  1 log about 3 feet long with a diameter of 4 or 5 inches

      o  1 scrap piece of 2x12 board maybe 2 feet long or a similar piece of plywood

      o  2 decent sized nails

      o  Hammer

      o  Hand Drill with 1/4 inch and 1 inch drill bits

      o  Suet or Peanut Butter

      o  2 Cans of Beer (optional - see following paragraph)

If you don’t have these larger drill bits – DON’T BUY THEM! Your next door neighbor has them, just borrow them and share the beer. The diameter of the holes you use isn’t terribly important. Larger or smaller is fine:

Not to insult your intelligence, but here’s what you do with the above pile of stuff. Nail the log to the board - go crazy and use both nails. I use a smallish log for this purpose because it's easier to move around the yard. Drill a 1/4 inch diameter about an inch deep in the top of the log. Cram it full of peanut butter or suet (that's the brown muck in the middle):

 

Drill a 1 inch diameter hole on the side of the log about an inch deep and about 6 inches from the top. Cram it full of peanut butter or suet too:

Place the setup near your regular feeders for a day or two so that the woodpeckers learn how to use it. Once they figure it out, they will check it out often for goodies.

I like to position the holes so that they are just out of sight of the camera. This also puts the birds at the perfect angle for photos. I place the feeder where the light is good and the background is nice. Below is a focused shot of the background I used for most of the shots below which makes a nice, colorful background when it’s out of focus:

When you put this device near other feeders, all sorts of birds that aren’t looking for peanut butter or suet will use the top for a perch going to or from someplace else. Here's some of the shots - Downy Woodpecker (the 1 inch hole is in front of the bird, just out of sight):

 

 

 

Hairy Woodpecker:

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker on the top hole:

 

 

 

White-breasted Nuthatch (the hole with peanut butter is near the tail):

 

 

 

Tufted Titmouse:

 

 

 

Bluebird using the top for other purposes (eating an insect):

 



 

Thanks for stopping by! You can see more of my work at:

www.stevebyland.com

and:

www.flickr.com/photos/steve_byland/

 

My email is sbbyland@aol.com

 

Advanced Layering Techniques – Bring Back The Sky

If you shoot birds in flight, you’ve probably been frustrated by trying to get the exposure right. Either the bird is blown out, or, more often, the background sky looks perfect, but the bird is just a dark silhouette. Been there, done that, hit the “delete” button.  If you expose the bird perfectly (yay!) the sky is probably too light (boo!).

There are a number of ways to fix such shots. Making major adjustments usually cause some problems. Noise and artifacts appear whenever you lighten a photo, so starting with a photo where the sky looks good, but the bird is too dark probably won’t win you any awards. Let’s work on how to fix the best of the miserable shots you ended up with – the ones where the bird is exposed the way you want it but the sky is too light. Since the bird is the main subject, that’s the part of the picture that you will want to look best anyway.

The simple way to fix you photo is to make a separate layer, adjust the sky, then mask the bird. That’s fine if you aren’t going to print the shot or try to sell it, but it is VERY difficult and time-consuming to get the mask just right. There are places that you just can’t get right (teeny-tiny feather edges) and such. If you use the “Select” tool, there are often parts of the birds that aren’t selected properly, and if you zoom way in, there will be little jagged edges along the lines where one set of pixels were selected while others weren’t. Nothing is more disappointing that working forever on a single photo and, when you are done, it looks so bad that you just delete it.

While nothing beats getting the perfect shot in the first place, there is a way to fix these kinds of shots fairly quickly without showing a lot of boo-boos if you zoom way in or print the photo at a larger size. Yes, you can take a lot of time to go around and clean these things up, but it is time-consuming, and doesn’t always leave a great end product.

This technique will leave you with nicer edges

Let me also take a second to mention that I have to downsize these shots a lot to use on my blog page – there is WAY more detail in the full-sized shots. I’m also making the assumption here that you have a basic understanding of how to use layers and masks. If you DON’T know how to use these, LEARN!!!!! It will improve your processing a million percent and cut the time it takes by about the same amount. Photoshop and Corel Paint Shop Pro pretty much work the same way in the steps I’m going to explain.

Let’s look at a fairly quick and easy way to fix the shot below that is lacking sky detail:

First step, run a noise-reduction step – we’re going to darken the photo and that always adds a little noise. Second, remove the bird (WHAT???) using a large clone tool and save the file using a different name.

Next, make a duplicate layer and set the layer type to “Multiply.” Duplicate the multiplied layer a couple of times until you like the way the sky looks. In this case, I used three layers. Merge all the layers down. Now the sky looks better, but it seems to be missing a bird.

Next, go back to your ORIGINAL photo, copy the entire thing and post as a new layer. If you want to reposition the bird, you can select an area around the bird (instead of copying the entire photo) making sure to get a little of the background all around it and place it where you want. Make a duplicate copy of the layer you just copied in and click the “Visibility” button to make the top layer invisible. You now have 3 layers. The bottom layer is the adjusted sky without the bird, the second (middle) layer is the original photo, and the top layer is the original photo, but not visible. At this point, your photo will appear to look just like the original photo since it is on top of the adjusted sky photo. Now, set the middle layer type to “Darken.” This will put back most of your bird as shown below:

The problem is that the white/light areas of the bird will appear blue as they are not darker than the background. The nice thing is that the computer did all the hard work of putting in all the really fine details on the darker edges of the bird without leaving any harsh transitions.

Next, make the top layer visible again and select a mask that masks the entire photo. Using a white brush, carefully unmask the white/light areas of the bird. You may want to brush across the entire body of the bird to bring up white/light areas there as well. The only place you really have to be a little careful is where the white on the bird reaches the very edge of the body. Still, it is not very difficult to get nice results without much effort – now you only have to work on a few areas with the mask because the computer did the rest.

Before and after:

To see more detail, you can view a large version of the above photo at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_byland/7686943072/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Here’s the finished product:

Is it cheating? I'll let you make your own decision. Either way, this is the way it looked through my viewfinder when I took the photo and now I have a nice photo. Essentially, this isn't much different than just selecting the sky only and darkening it. The real difference is that this method only impacts the sky behind the bird and leaves the bird exactly as it was - which is the whole point of what you otherwise would have been trying to achieve by just selecting and working on the sky. The difference is that this method doesn't leave a bunch of lines or require a ton of work to make it look good.

I will admit that using photoshop too much can be thought of as turning a photo into art. The same can be said about using polarizers and colored filters - techniques used by photographers for decades. The same can be said about techniques old-timers used in the darkroom such as dodging and burning to give mist around moving water or even (gasp) trying to save a photo like the one I started with.

In this case, I didn't add or delete a single element of the photo. I was simply VERY selective about which components I darkened (which is what a "Multiply" layer does). I didn't even change the contrast, color or saturation. If someone said that they simply darkened a photo, most people would just shrug their shoulders and say, "So what?"

Decide for yourself what you want to do. There may be a gray line (or even a black line) between what you consider art and photography, but you can always fix that with Photoshop ;-)

Steve Byland is a wildlife photographer living in suburban New Jersey. His photos can be seen at www.stevebyland.com . You can email him at sbbyland@aol.com

Ten Tips For Taking Bird Pictures Like A Pro In Your Own Backyard

Planning your photos in advance increases you odds of getting great photos. This male Bluebird often hovered over his mate during the mating season

I’ve been a professional wildlife photographer for years and travel all across the country to take pictures. It’s a great job, but somebody’s got to do it. I’ve crisscrossed the United States from north to south and east to west. Winter, spring, summer or fall, I’ve been there. Still, my favorite place to take photographs is my own backyard. I know it like the back of my hand. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of birds visit my bird feeders every year. I’ve spent so much time out there that I recognize a good number of them individually. Most of my best-selling shots are of birds that I’ve known for years.

Very few of my shots are random. When I walk out the back door, I usually have a plan for what I want to shoot that day. Certainly birds and animals are somewhat unpredictable, so I don’t know exactly what I’m going to get, but whatever is presented to me, I’m usually ready for it. Let me share with you the ten steps I use to get the shots I want.

Tip 1: Pick your subject

I select the camera/lens combination based on the species, or at least size of bird I want to photograph that day. I don’t use the same set-up for tiny Hummingbirds that I use for larger birds such as Blue Jays. I find that NOT concentrating on something specific leads to missed shots. The best way to get the once-in-a-lifetime photo is to be ready for it when the opportunity presents itself. 

Male Pine Warblers often visit my suet feeders in late March

Tip 2: Learn Behavior

If you know a bird’s behavior, you increase your chances of getting great shots. You don’t have to do a lot of studying – just observe the birds in your yard. How often do they come to the feeder? How long do they stay? What do they eat? How do they interact with other birds? I often find that individual Hummingbirds will come to a feeder on a set schedule that varies by less than a minute during the day. They often feed exactly the same each time they visit. Knowing this is all the advantage I need.

Tip 3: Anticipate Behavior

My reflexes are slow compared to those of birds. By the time I see the scene I want and communicate to my finger to press the shutter button, it’s usually too late. Often, though, there is something that will signal you that good things are about to happen. Baby Tree Swallows looking out of a birdhouse start squawking a few seconds before the parents show up with a meal which allows me to start shooting before they get to the nest.

The baby Tree Swallow would announce the anticipated arrival of the parent with food

Tip 4: Plan For Good Light

Study the light in your yard. Light is best in early morning and late afternoon, but often shadows from trees block the light. Look for places in your yard where the light is still present at these times. Pictures taken at high noon on sunny days will be harsh. If you can only shoot at mid-day because of trees, choose days that are overcast, but bright.  

Birds often get into habits like this Bluebird that likes to bathe in the afternoon

Tip 5: Watch Your Background

There’s an old saying that if something doesn’t add to the picture then it takes away from it. You don’t want the subject of you picture to get lost in the clutter. It should be prominent enough to make a statement.

Tip 6: Control Depth Of Field

Using a wide aperture gives a shallow depth of field (DOF) and allows for faster shutter speed. A shallow DOF blurs the background and allows you subject to stand out. Most lenses are sharpest about one stop smaller than the widest aperture.

Out of focus flowers and a shallow depth of field make this Hummingbird stand out against the background

Tip 7: Compose Your Shot

Before you start shooting, consider what you want the shot to look like. Do you want a tight head shot, or a wide shot of birds playing in a birdbath? Knowing this will help you decide where to set up and what length lens to use.

Tip 8: Focus on the Head

Another old saying is that nobody gives a rat’s ass about the ass. You can cut off any part of the body in a shot except the head. Focus on the head (especially the eyes). Try to get the bird looking at you or almost perpendicular to you with the beak ever so slightly towards you. You don’t want to get the shot from behind or with the bird looking away.

The use of a blind can allow you get close – especially if you let the bird come to you

Tip 9: Use a Tripod

Nobody really LIKES to use a tripod. They are heavy and limit your ability to move. They offer tremendous advantages, however. First, shots taken from a tripod will be significantly sharper. Also, if your camera is on a tripod, it will be ready to shoot and there will be less movement from getting the camera in position. The less you move the camera, the more likely the bird will remain where you want it.

Tip 10: Use a Blind

A blind doesn’t have to be fancy. There are commercial pop-up blinds available for less than $50, but even a simple sheet draped over a ladder or a fence will do the trick. You will get your best shots when the bird comes to you rather than the other way around. They will be far more comfortable if they feel in control. Also, some sort of covering will help keep you out of the sun. I have a large home-made blind on wheels that I keep out in my yard. The birds are so used to it that they often perch on it while I’m in it. I even have birds land on the lens of my camera and peek in at me.

This shot combines everything. This male Cardinal has a favorite perch near a sunflower seed feeder. I used the blue sky as a background. He came close because I was in a blind. His head is at the right angle. I focused on the eye. I caught a shot showing some behavior.

A Final Word

The most important thing that I have found about wildlife photography is to enjoy the time that I spend doing it. Learn to appreciate the wonderful things you see whether you get photos or not. If you follow my advice, by design there will be certain shots that you will miss because you just aren’t set up for them (too much or not enough lens, for instance). Think of those instances not as missed opportunities, but as scouting missions for the next photo session. Perhaps you will come to find that the family of Bluebirds comes to the birdbath every afternoon to cool off or there is a Grosbeak you didn’t know lived in your neighborhood that likes the safflower seeds in the feeder.

You may never know exactly what you are going to get, but with a little planning and observation, you might just get that once-in-a-lifetime shot in your own backyard. I get them all the time.

Steve Byland is a wildlife photographer living in suburban New Jersey. His photos can be seen at www.stevebyland.com – many of which were taken in his own backyard.

Taking Wildlife Photos In The Rain

Black-chinned Hummingbird during an Arizona Monsoon

400mm, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/40 second

Many photographers will tell you that there is never enough light. Maybe it would be better to say that there is never enough PERFECT light. To me, with the exception of a poorly cooked hamburger, nothing is more disappointing that having a photo that is both underexposed and overexposed at the same time. For example, an adult Bald Eagle flies by, banks perfectly and still, the body feathers are too dark and the white head too light so that you lose detail on both ends.

This is an example of a photo that came out poorly

because of too much light on a bright sunny day

This is usually not a problem during the “golden hours” which are thought to be an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. The golden hours are also known as the “magic hours” or, as I like to call them, about two hours before I haul my butt out of bed and an hour after my feet hurt so badly that I can hardly walk anymore.

Eastern Bluebird - if you look closely, you can see rain on his back

600mm, ISO 500, f/7.1, 1/320 second

End Of The World Photos

Man Cave

You might not know it if you just watch the regular news, but the world is supposed to end today – sometime this evening. You would THINK that this might make the news, but apparently not. Now, as some of you know, I built a “man cave” a few weeks ago as a heavy-duty blind from which to take photos. I don’t mean to imply that this will protect you in the case of the world’s end, it just fits into the events of today.

Juvie Cooper's Hawks Terrorizing the neighborhood today

Note: Raptor vs Rapture - very important difference

Side note – APPARENTLY the world isn’t actually supposed to come to and end, per se. Instead, all the good people will go up to heaven and leave the rest behind. Again, very skimpy reporting. After what I believe was the deadline, I began calling those people that I figured might be among those going to heaven. No answers from any of them. I guess that means that I might have missed the cut. If that’s the case, I am going to stop recycling.

Hummer made a showing today

House Wren Nest Building

Lots of birds building nests in the yard this week. Eastern Bluebirds have 4 eggs, while the Tree Swallows and House Wrens are working hard on their nests. While generally efficient nest-builders, one particular House Wren seems to have a bit of a problem with measurements.

Step One - Select stick of correct size:

 
Step Two - Check your measurements:

Step Three - Slam that baby home!

Thwang!!! (Ouch)

Step Four: Celebrate your successes:

Lots of recent Bluebird Pic can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_byland/

You can see thousands of my photos at http://www.stevebyland.com/. They are all available for sale as prints or license.

Use Perches For Better Photos - Part I

Male Bluebird

Canon 7d - 300mm f/4.5 1/400th Second ISO 500

   
I’m known for a couple of things; a twisted sense of humor, the occasional good photo, and the creative use of stumps as perches for my shots. I don’t really much care for shots of birds on feeders, so I try to put something more attractive close by for them to pose on for me.

Placement of tripod with Branch - Canon Powershot

 

It may take a bit of getting used to, but you start to get a feel for what birds will land on and where best to place them. I often strap a log or branch to an old tripod so that I have more flexibility with the final positioning. Play around a bit until you get the light the way you want it.

Close-up of tripod - Canon Powershot

Rental Cars And Me

Me at Crater Lake in Oregon with my rental car

   
I travel a lot to beautiful places to take photos and, of course I rent a lot of cars. Since I generally use mine as a blind, I am only going to put one photo of a car in this story and that is only because I feel obligated to do so. The rest of the shots will be those taken FROM the car so that you won’t be bored to tears by anything other than the text.

American Bittern - Sacramento NWR - California

 

I’ve had a few bad experiences with rentals. Most notably was a brand new Toyota a number of years ago. We were stopped in traffic on the highway when a guy in an 18 wheeler fell asleep and plowed through our lane bouncing cars like ping pong balls. The only thing unbroken on our car was the rear view mirror. Even the “new car smell” was knocked off and left by the side of the road.

Roseate Spoonbill - Merritt Island NWR in Florida

Lucky To Be Alive - Part II

   
Being a good son, I visited my parents on the Oregon coast a couple of years ago. Overall, the trip had been going fairly well with lots of good photos. On the drive up from the airport in California, I found an American Dipper under a bridge and saw that it had a nest with babies up in a drain pipe.

Bloody Dingo Stole My Boonie!

 

(Although this happened in Wyoming, it is best read with an Australian Accent)

When you visit Yellowstone National Park, you see signs everywhere warning you to keep a safe distance from the wildlife. Good advice, especially considering that I was visiting the Park during the rut, when hormones run high and tempers are short.

Western Coyotes are rather common throughout Yellowstone

and tend to be rather wary

 

I was driving down a fairly well-traveled dirt road when I saw a Coyote in a field just a short distance away. The light was perfect so I pulled over, put on my favorite hat and got out to get a few shots. The animal was hunting for mice and seemed completely unaware of me. At one point, it trotted over to the road and began coming my way. As it approached, I moved towards the open door of my car and started to get in, figuring that the animal would pass by.

Note the shifty-look in his eyes!