Are you ready for a test of the speed of your reflexes? I’ve come up with what I hope my readers will find is a fun and interesting little experiment that will demonstrate how quick you have to be to photograph a small bird as it’s taking off. We’ll even see how I did with the same test.
I do hope you’ll participate but of course it’s up to you and I’m fine with your decision either way.
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning I headed up into the Wasatch Mountains again to see if I could find a bird or two but I had very little luck. I couldn’t even find the Say’s Phoebes I photographed the day before.
This male American Goldfinch was the most cooperative bird I photographed. It was a cloudy morning until about a half hour after I took this shot so I didn’t have direct sunlight on him but I think that worked out just fine with such a bright yellow bird. Direct sunlight would have made proper exposure more difficult. It’s a simple shot but the bird was fairly close, I like the curved perch and I find the greens in the background from the far side of the canyon refreshing after all the dry, tan backgrounds I get down in the valley.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
The day before (the same day I photographed the phoebes) we found this male goldfinch on a Musk Thistle flower with most of its seeds already eaten by birds (presumably). The bird wasn’t close so this image has been cropped significantly. In fact I probably would never have posted it if I hadn’t devised this little test of reflexes that I hope many of my readers will participate in.
But first let’s begin with some background and some simple directions..
Sometimes it may seem to followers of my blog that I’m obsessed with takeoff shots and maybe I am. For me their appeal is twofold – the dynamic postures of birds during the process and the high degree of difficulty which challenges my skills and helps me to grow as a photographer. And as I’ve pounded into the ground here on Feathered Photography they nearly always require quick reflexes to get with little birds (larger birds are much easier because they’re so much slower).
So let’s see just how quick you have to be. First I’ll show you how I did when this bird took off and then you’ll have your chance with the same bird in virtually the same situation.
Here’s the full frame (uncropped) version of the previous image. Showing it full frame demonstrates to viewers how much room I had in every direction to keep the bird in frame immediately after it took off, no matter what direction it headed. Since he was quite small in the frame to begin with I actually had more room than I usually do. When he took off I hadn’t already begun firing a burst so getting the shot really depended on my reflexes since I waited until he began his launch to push the shutter.
Any predictions? Do you think I was able to keep part of him or all of him in frame on the first click of my shutter?
Yeah, I did but it’s a crappy shot. He’s too close to the bottom of the frame to get a pleasing composition when I crop the image and the goldfinch is soft. But I still consider my performance a bit of a victory because I was able to keep him in frame. Most times I can’t. So let’s see how you do in the same situation.
Many readers know that my best friend Mia McPherson is often photographing the same birds I am from the back seat of my pickup. She chose to shoot video with this bird while I was shooting stills and she posted the clip of the takeoff on her own blog. She was using a cropped sensor camera, a 1.4 teleconverter and a 500mm lens like I was so the size of the bird in the frame would have been almost exactly the same for both of us. That means you can have the same chance at catching this bird in frame when it takes off as I did and I’ll explain how.
Here’s the link to her post. (please don’t go there yet – read my entire post before you try the experiment). All you have to do to simulate my situation with my camera with the same bird is place your mouse cursor on the pause button at bottom left of her clip and pretend it’s a shutter button. When the bird takes off see if you can click on the pause button fast enough to keep it in frame. Be as ready for it as you can because it happens very quickly.
The first time you try it is the most important one because it best replicates my situation. I didn’t know when it would take off and neither should you. After you’ve watched the clip once the timing of takeoff is easier to anticipate. But after the first attempt you might want to try it several times more like I did. I predict you’ll find that it isn’t easy, even after several attempts. I’d say you were successful if you were able to keep the entire bird in frame when the video stopped.
And if you can do that I’d also say you have very quick reflexes. Or you just got lucky but there’s sure as hell nothing wrong with luck when it comes to bird photography! I’d be up that proverbial creek without a paddle without my share of good luck.
So I wish you luck! And I’d be interested to know how you did if you decide to participate and don’t mind sharing.
Ron
Notes:
- Yes, that’s my shutter you hear in Mia’s clip immediately after the bird took off. I got off 3 quick shots in a burst and the photo above was the first of the three..
- Mia’s situation and mine weren’t exactly the same. Her Nikon camera has a 1.5 crop factor while my Canon camera has a 1.6 crop factor. That means she was shooting at an effective 1050 mm while I was at 1120 mm but in this situation that difference was negligible.
- I’ve thought of a couple of other variables that may or may not have made your test with Mia’s clip slightly different from mine regarding elapsed time but again if that difference does exist it’s extremely minor.
Tried twice. Not even close (and I thought I had pretty good reflexes)!
“Sweeeet! Sweeeet! Sweeeet! ” That’s what are Goldfinches say…and, boy! They are so right!!! Love these, esp. The first snd the last..
Thanks, Patty.
Epic fail. Which was completely unsurprising for my unco, klutzy self. Indeed I would have been surprised if I HAD caught it.
Thanks for trying and reporting on it, EC.
I have been wondering how a video clip would compare to a still photo. Now I know. Your image, which as you say is soft, is still much sharper. I watch American Goldfinches every day at the feeder outside my dining room window, so I thought I would be able to anticipate its takeoff. Hah! Three tries of the video and not even close. Along the same lines, there was a leucistic male Goldfinch outside my window yesterday, and wouldn’t you know it, it skedaddled just as I got my iPhone in camera mode.
Lylr, I’ve seen photos of leucistic goldfinches before but I’ve never seen one. I hope you get another chance with him.
I KNOW I’m a woefully inadequate dullard when it comes to this kind of test, which is why I like redtails and HAHAs so much. They give you good warning before they’re about to take off. But I digress. The goldfinch was well into the next county before my reactions happened. What’s really sad is that I knew what it he would look like just before he took off and he still got the drop on me by about a week and a half. So once again, we’ve proven that I’m not a good candidate for bird photography 🙂
Oh forgot to tell you that emptying the cache of blogs I’ve followed over the years fixed the problems I was having. So we’re good to go for another couple of years. LOL!
Oh one other thing. When I loaded your most recent photo of the burrowing owl on sage, my immediate reaction was YES! Those are the colors I want for my house (and its trim)! I wonder if the paint folks could recreate those colors? As for the image, SO delighted you didn’t cull that one!
I’m delighted you finally figured out your technology problem, Laura. That must have been driving you nuts.
Those paint folks can work magic.
I’m hoping they can work miracles. Those colors are just perfect for this house. When I repaint the one wall in the LR/DR, I’m going to use one of Mariah’s tail feathers. The color they have is close, but not quite 😉
Did I mention that I’m delighted that you’re back out in the field? I am!!
Love it! 7 tries and 7 failures. You are amazing. Thanks for the fun.
Most of the time I fail too, Linda. Thanks.
I got nothing. 🙁 Twice. I think I do better with my camera than with the computer tho (but not by much).
Could be, Nancy. Thanks for giving it a couple of tries.
oooo fun I like tests. I tried multiple times and all I can say is I am glad I am not taking photos with my computer! it is S L O W! so I pulled out my camera and tried while watching the video through the lens. Yes, I know it was after watching the clip 3 times but I did catch 2 the first try, both had motion blur in the wings. But in real action time, like you I try to read the birds body language and start shooting before the bird leaps. I am afraid if I waited until the bird pushed off I would never be able to move the lens fast enough to catch any shots.
Wow, I never thought of doing that, April. Nice creativity!
No wonder I’m having trouble, I got either nothing or the end of a wing. That brings me down to earth! I used to think I had pretty good reflexes, but need to remember that was when I was young! Man, that was a humbling experience.
Thanks for making me realize I need to stay with perched birds and standing mammals. VBG!!
Don’t feel badly, Dick. Just getting the end of a wing is doing pretty well. This is hard!
I shoot LBB’s all the time as so many pass through my yard. Some sit a while others dip and flit – as they’re on a mission. I also hike a lot in the AZ deserts so alway on the lookout. If I can spot them in the first place I stay on them with my finger NEVER leaving the shutter button. I may have to take 200 “BEFORE” picture just sto be rewarded with the takeoff. I shot a robin the other day here in Park City. Lucky timing as I got his “nano second” push off with his tippy toes hanging over a cemetery headstone.. It’s always rewarding to see the light coming through the fanned wing feathers!
Don, as alway I enjoy all your post! Remember you identified two immature Mountain Blue Birds the other day. Since we came here on July 4, I’ve seen and shot a Tanager, Goldfinches, Pine Siskins Mountain Bluebirds,magpies,Swallows Sand hill CCranes, Osprey in nest, ducks and too many Robins.
Hope you’re feeling more chipper.
I share at least one part of your style, Linda. I take a lot of shots to get just a few good ones.
Ron, a very interesting and informative experiment. I tried 3 times and gave up.
You are right, capturing small birds in flight requires talent, luck and “something else” [not sure what that is, maybe practice]!
Thanks for the fun, Ron. Glad you are able to get out.
Thanks for repeatedly trying, Alice. And reporting back.
I suppose I miss more than half the shots I go for/wish for because of speed. But here is a tip that works for me. I shoot anyway, and this Sony A9 gives 24 fps or more in burst given right light – so I shoot, run the files through lightroom, and then I watch the bird’s behavior cues, and I count time. Bob, nod, rouse, for example, or head back, sing, return to head level, for example. I count the time from one motion to the next. Then I go back in the field, watch the birdy, and count. That way, I can anticipate what comes next and how fast.
I miss a lot of shots – sometimes because I would rather observe than photograph; sometimes because I don’t have fast enough reaction time; sometimes because I haven’t yet learned the right combination of ISO, exposure, etc to get the flying swallow or belted kingfisher sharp and clear. I know other people can and do, so perhaps I might learn it some time. But counting really helps me.
Knowing behaviors and a fast burst rate can both make a big difference, Martha. I like your techniques.
“I did but it’s a crappy shot” You should see mine. I got it after the fourth attempt but the left wing was cut and the bird was about to leave the frame.
Great post. Thank you for showing the difficulties you experience every day to give us your beautiful photos.
Thanks for the report back, Jorge.
🙂
So I get up this morning and the first thing I face is a test of skill…and I fail miserably. Best I could get after many tries was catching the trailing wing in frame. No matter how much I anticipated, by waiting until the push off began to show I could not capture the whole bird. Early shutter initiation yielded better results, but how early is too early?
The whole thing rattled my nerves so I went to get another cup of coffee to settle me down and I see in my back yard a Canada Goose, my yard is about 75 feet across and 50 feet deep with 6 foot high wood fencing and a swimming pool.
This bird I caught full frame, however the Goose was cooked as he had not enough room for its typical lengthy take off. He pooped all over my patio and then ventured down the side yard, I went to open the gate and met him face to face at the side door, more pooping, but he kept his cool and backed off while I propped the gate open.
I’m back at my coffee calming my nerves, waiting to be sure he makes it out OK and thinking about going back to bed as I am now worn out.
Cheers, Dave
Ha, you’ve had quite a morning, Dave!
One little thing to watch for in the goldfinch might give you a slight edge. He leans forward about a nanosecond before he takes off. If you watch for that a nanosecond just might make the difference between failure and success. That’s something I always watch for in situations like this.
Thanks for the key tip Ron, this was a lot of fun, well done!
Oh my gosh, Dave, you are too funny! I doff my chapeau to you. I can totally envision your Close Encounters of the Goose Kind. 😂
Third time was not the charm. Neither was fourth, fifth, or sixth! I can add those six shots to my file labeled “perches” – there really WAS a bird there, but by the time I got the shot off all I had left was the perch! Fun experiment, Ron! Thanks again for the joy you bring every day.
“I can add those six shots to my file labeled “perches””
LOL, well said, Diane! If I had a file of that name it would be one of my largest ones…
Ron, before getting to reflexes that shot of the Goldfinch on the curved branch is beautiful. As a very physically active 80 year old I am not even going to try the test. I will leave that to your younger followers. As you say, nothing wrong with luck, and every once in a while luck comes into play and I get a small bird in the frame while taking off. When the reflexes won’t do it you have to go with luck. 🙂
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Thanks, Everett. All we can do is work with what we have – none of us have it all…
I tried a few times…..pretty unsuccessful…This little “test” sure gives a better appreciation of the difficulty involved in photographing small birds..Thanks once again and thanks to Mia also. That was a nice little video.
“This little “test” sure gives a better appreciation of the difficulty involved in photographing small birds”
That was one of my purposes in doing this, Steve. As much as I harp on how difficult is to catch small birds at takeoff on my blog I don’t think it can be fully appreciated unless you have the experience yourself. Thanks.
I tried your experiment 4 times and 4 times I failed. That has left me laughing. I’m not terribly surprised that my reflexes are that bad, and it also gives me even more respect for what you are able to do as a photographer. Clearly I would be a disaster if I tried to be a bird photographer… 🙂
“Clearly I would be a disaster if I tried to be a bird photographer”
Not necessarily so, Susan. Takeoff shots are only a small component of good bird photography and many excellent bird photographers don’t even attempt them with little birds.
Seven tries and seven blank screens! Not even a end of tail flicker! This is why I only get take-off photos of raptors…so much easier to anticipate and then many times it is pure luck. I like the previous comment on playing video games…never could get those mastered either! 🤪
Kathy, size and weight of the bird makes so much difference! Even a relatively small but chunky bird like a meadowlark is easier than little guys like this goldfinch. Thanks for participating and reporting your results.
Aaaand this is why I don’t play video games. I’m so slow, the bird was asleep in his nest by the time I hit the “shutter!” 😉 I watched the video yesterday, but never considered practicing my skills. Kudos to both of you.
Your second sentence made me LOL, Marty. Yes, it’s a difficult goal to achieve, even for those with faster reflexes.
You win – I didn’t get ANY of it in the frame in 2 tries! 😉 Nice video clip for Mia! 🙂
Judy, Even when I go back multiple times and try it with Mia’s clip I’m not successful very often. It’s very difficult to do.