The results were not happy.
I was using a tripod so it's not shake. The camera kept fixing on objects behind the bud. There's no alternative, I am going to have to take the cd out of its plastic wrapper and read the camera instructions.
I got so fed up I decided to name the robin Bud and focus on him instead. He often follows me round the garden. He sat in the weigela, turning his head from side to side watching me. I hadn't realised the adults retain speckles, or is he one of last years juves?
The blue tit is always fearless and kept noshing on the remains of a fat ball even though I was only a couple of feet away.
The blackbirds are usually shyer but this one landed on the bank and didn't realise I was standing beneath him until he looked up and met my eyes.
It's getting lighter in the mornings so we're not seeing such colourful sunrises but, to compensate, the evening skies have been beautiful. 
Took some more shots of buds today just hand held and they looked better..... the boss approved anyway.
Your bird photos are extraordinary ! Always enjoy your posts.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful evening sky! The little bird that you said follows you around is so cute.
ReplyDeleteWell, there's a marked improvement in the rhododendron bud shots just from one day to the next. No wonder the boss approved. :) Love those bird shots, esp. the blackbird. I'd never seen a robin with a golden breast before!
ReplyDeleteWonderful Wonderful Post! I love your bird pictures and your sky photographs are amazing. Gorgeous photos! Sweet shot of your 'boss'... Sometimes you have to be further back to get close ups ... I am sure you know that... your second shot looks great. I get frustrated too with my auto focus... when there is a busy composition the camera does have a hard time figuring out what to focus on. ;>) Carol
ReplyDeleteYes, and just when we were starting to fathom the autofocus ... the camera died!
ReplyDeleteSmudge might have got a little more excited if it had been a photo of the Robin on your laptop. These are more the type of birds I get in my garden, robins, blue tits and blackbirds. I've yet to see anything as unusual as a fieldfare.
ReplyDeleteHello Yan,
ReplyDeleteI always love your photos - especially the ones of your cats and the birds. The blackbird looked like he was posing for you.
At least you have a manual. I misplaced mine and still can't figure out how macro works on my camera. I just take many pictures, and usually, at least one is good. Love your bird pictures! The sky is majestic, and the last pic is priceless!
ReplyDeleteI really like the photos of the birds! And the sky shots are really special. I have a hard time getting close-ups of flowers, too. My camera is a hand-me-down from my son and didn't come with a manuel. I'm sure I could do more if only I knew how!
ReplyDeleteHallo everyone, thanks for your comments, I love reading them though I’m often late replying. Miss M, Amy, I’m glad you like the bird shots, taking them is a new found pleasure for me so I tend to get a bit repetitive! Meredith, our robins do seem to be very different from your N. American ones. I did a bird count last Sunday and found I actually had six robins in the garden when I thought I only had three! Carol, you’re right, when I stand further back the focus is no problem but I want to get really close and use the tripod to prevent shake, I guess it’s just practice, practice, practice. Diana, how frustrating, but now you have an excuse to upgrade to a newer model. Hi Jo, we seem to have similar bird populations, they’re still fascinating, even though they’re very ordinary. I’m noticing some breeding colours starting to gleam through in the chaffinches and blue tits. Hi Noelle, I wish they would pose, the robin is good, but as for the rest, although I feed them every day, they still treat me like the ravenous bugblatter beast of Traal. I caught the blackbird in the seconds between his landing, seeing me, mentally saying whatever blackbird speak is for, “OMG”, and taking off again. Debs, Tatyana, the manual is worth its weight in gold, it has helped a lot, explaining a bunch of extra buttons on the camera which I had been ignoring. I think I may now have the macro sussed, yippee. Time will tell. Your pics always look so gorgeous, I doubt very much that you need a manual.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to like doing the same things as me - photographing birds and things in your garden but not quite daring to stary from the realms of autofocus!
ReplyDeleteHi Yan. I wandered into here from Gwirrels Garden and have had a lovely time reading your posts and admiring your vertical bog! It did make me chuckle as well as gaze adoringly at the views and at your ability to take far better photos of the birds than I can!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great blog :)
GLA, you're quite right , autofocus normally has much better eyesight than me so I let it make the decisions but sometimes it's either had a late night or is feeling a bit hormonal and refuses to cooperate.
ReplyDeleteHi Nutty G, thanks for wandering in and enjoying yourself. I'm glad you liked my vertical bog!