Bird photography is not as easy as it looks.
In fact, it's not even close to being easy!
You need to be prepared to be extremely disappointed
in the images you'll be getting despite spending all this money.
Don't say we didn't warn you.
And no, there's nothing wrong with your camera.
That sort of fair warning/truth in advertising would go a long way to helping me feel better about the plethora of warbler images I take that look like this:
In fact, it's not even close to being easy!
You need to be prepared to be extremely disappointed
in the images you'll be getting despite spending all this money.
Don't say we didn't warn you.
And no, there's nothing wrong with your camera.
That sort of fair warning/truth in advertising would go a long way to helping me feel better about the plethora of warbler images I take that look like this:
Or the ones that look like this:
Or this. Great photo of vegetation, perfectly in focus, hiding a blurry bird.
And then, before you figure things out, the bird bolts. Sweet!
But if the birding gods are smiling, the bird does a 180 and stops to check you out for just five seconds more, and you get this (below), an image which is JUST GOOD ENOUGH to keep you coming back, camera in hand, chasing after colorful fleeting things with wings.
Cropping and tweaking results in an image that is good enough for the old blog, but probably won't pass muster for the cover of National Geographic. Still, what a handsome devil this male magnolia warbler is!
Happy shutter-bugging to every bird watcher who is similarly afflicted.