Happy Halloween Xanga
In June of 2001, in time for my daughter’s wedding, I purchased a Kodak DC4800, 3.0 megapixel camera, a great little digital camera I used until early this year. In October, of the purchase year, my husband, my sister Jeanne and I drove off for a weekend get-away in Brookville, Indiana. The drive was for viewing fall colors and photos, of the same. It was on this trip I developed a fascination for Buzzards / Turkey Vultures. Nearing evening we were gathering ourselves to leave the park. At the same time, the Buzzards began to appear, flying high above the trees and over the river. It was the closest I had been to the birds and as they rode the updrafts from the river, I took photos. None of the photos came out very well, except for a passable, single image I have used, periodically, to work into some of my graphics. See images #1 and #2.
#1, This is the original image, sized down.
#2, This is the bird cropped from the image as large as the camera took it. I was thrilled I had managed to catch the bird in the photo.
Since the first encounter, I have noticed the Vultures flying near our home. They fly the skies above our house, and they frequent a flying area above the park we go to, catching and riding thermals, above the river.
In December of 2007, Christmas, my husband and daughter gave me a new Canon 10 mpx Digital Rebel XTi camera. I have played with it consistently, learning how to use it, making many mistakes, but learning. This past week, at Lake Isabella park, the Buzzards were enjoying the sunny skies, flying in ever widening circles, hoping to discover a meal. See images #3 and #4.
#3 This is the complete image sized down for computer screen.
#4 This the image cropped, full size, from the above photo. It’s amazing what pixels can do and for me to have taken this one made me think I had been given a present. Getting settings right, the right light, being able to move quickly enough to catch the bird, being able to zero in on it, all of those things have to be attended to and as I am not the quickest or the steadiest, it really did give me a thrill. This is the best one I have ever taken of the birds. If I ever loosen the reigns and use the largest size image setting I may be able to do a nice print out for hanging. AN EDIT: the birds were flying at about 100 to 150 feet in the air and I was using a regular lens, 28 – 135 mm. My settings were: TimeValue Shutter speed of 1/4000 with an Aperture Value of f5.6 and an exposure Compensation of +2 and an ISO Speed of 1600 DON’T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN all of what I just put in. I have a lot to understand as well as learn.
#5 A created image using a photograph from Lake Isabella Park and one of my Turkey Vultures, both photos were taken “The Day of the Vulchers”. Desktop 800 x 600 HERE and 1024 x 768 HERE
#6 Another view which looks a little more like fall. Desktop 800 x 600 HERE and 1024 x 768 HERE
#7 This view is a crop from the above #5 original image. I have used different software techniques from Paint Shop Pro to bring it to this image. Desktop 800 x 600 HERE and 1024 x 768 HERE
A good friend sent me some Halloween cups and some smell good, body bath. I made a desktop using the cups and some Halloween inspired in color, dishes.
Desktop 800 x 600 HERE and 1024 x 768 HERE
Happy Halloween Xanga,
Becca
#1, This is the original image, sized down.
#2, This is the bird cropped from the image as large as the camera took it. I was thrilled I had managed to catch the bird in the photo.Since the first encounter, I have noticed the Vultures flying near our home. They fly the skies above our house, and they frequent a flying area above the park we go to, catching and riding thermals, above the river.In December of 2007, Christmas, my husband and daughter gave me a new Canon 10 mpx Digital Rebel XTi camera. I have played with it consistently, learning how to use it, making many mistakes, but learning. This past week, at Lake Isabella park, the Buzzards were enjoying the sunny skies, flying in ever widening circles, hoping to discover a meal. See images #3 and #4.
#3 This is the complete image sized down for computer screen.
#4 This the image cropped, full size, from the above photo. It’s amazing what pixels can do and for me to have taken this one made me think I had been given a present. Getting settings right, the right light, being able to move quickly enough to catch the bird, being able to zero in on it, all of those things have to be attended to and as I am not the quickest or the steadiest, it really did give me a thrill. This is the best one I have ever taken of the birds. If I ever loosen the reigns and use the largest size image setting I may be able to do a nice print out for hanging. AN EDIT: the birds were flying at about 100 to 150 feet in the air and I was using a regular lens, 28 – 135 mm. My settings were: TimeValue Shutter speed of 1/4000 with an Aperture Value of f5.6 and an exposure Compensation of +2 and an ISO Speed of 1600 DON’T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN all of what I just put in. I have a lot to understand as well as learn.
#7 This view is a crop from the above #5 original image. I have used different software techniques from Paint Shop Pro to bring it to this image. Desktop 800 x 600 HERE and 1024 x 768 HERESome excellent pages for information about Turkey Vultures: Vulture Medicine and Hinckley Buzzard Day,and How Fast and High do Birds Fly, and All About the Turkey Vulture, and the Turkey Vulture SocietyA good friend sent me some Halloween cups and some smell good, body bath. I made a desktop using the cups and some Halloween inspired in color, dishes.
Happy Halloween Xanga,Becca
Comments (10)
Those birds are a lot prettier in flight than they are on the ground. I saw one in my neighbor’s back yard one day. They are a BIG bird!
The photo you took was amazing! Isn’t it fun what we are able to do these days with the right tools? I would love a camera as powerful as yours. Maybe some day!
Thank you for sharing your great seasonal photos!
@suzyQ_darnit - One thing I left out of my entry which I should edit into it, the birds were flying at about 150 feet in the air and I was using a regular lens, 28 – 135 mm. My settings were:
TimeValue Shutter speed of 1/4000 with an Aperture Value of f5.6 and an exposure Compensation of +2 and an ISO Speed of 1600 DON’T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN all of what I just put in. I have a lot to understand as well as learn.
Well done Becca—nice lot of pictures—-like the cropped Vulture pic
thanks for sharing—hope your both OK
These are lovely captures Becca, you certainly did well with your SLR.
You’ve come a long way, Baby. I doubt that my cheap digital will ever give out. That being said, I have been toying with the idea of giving it to my grandson when he goes to Disney World in May with the singing group he is in now. Sure, let a kid tear it up and I get a new one.
Awesome pictures. You never cease to amaze me. Tim does great work also. Thanks for the wonderful desktops.
Ms Plunge
some of these remind me of Hitchcock’s “the birds” great feeling for halloween Becca, like those mugs too.
For two Saturdays I attended classes on digital photography given by the U of I Extension. They used Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and I have ordered one. I think I could learn to use my digital much better. What program do you use?
@Sojourner_here - Thats an expensive program and should give you every thing you need. I use Paint Shop Pro and have for years. Not nearly as expensive but it hasn’t failed to give me everything I have wanted in editing. I also have Corel’s Painter X (I got a steel of a price on it or wouldn’t have it) and too many other programs I play with. Tons of things to learn when it comes to digital.
These are incredible