Free Nikon Backyard Birds Webinar

Next Wednesday, March 24th from 7-8:30pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Allen's Camera is sponsoring a free Nikon Backyard Birds Webinar.

From their Facebook page:


https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/reg...6RxF0sn_w9vp9lBempbEXLGSK_mNS8XPwoGiFU6kjmedk

Thank you for posting this, Cindy!

Wayne

Thanks, Cindy.

Here is a replay of the Backyard Birds webinar for those who are interested.

I watched it live. There were some things in it that I never thought about doing to get a shot.

At least I have the right hat!!

An hour and a half is pretty long for my short attention span. I'll give it a go, though.

Woodyg3 said:

An hour and a half is pretty long for my short attention span. I'll give it a go, though.

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I'm 40 minutes in and waiting for something substantial in case you want to jump. Not to mention that "backyard birds" seem to include more birds you find when you go somewhere else.

BackdoorArts said:

I'm 40 minutes in and waiting for something substantial in case you want to jump. Not to mention that "backyard birds" seem to include more birds you find when you go somewhere else.

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Yeah, I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to get to the backyard stuff. His early shots were interesting, but certainly not my style or preference. Once he got to the backyard his remote setup was kind of interesting, but other than that I didn't really get much new info. I might try the gnarly old log on the ground trick.

Woodyg3 said:

Yeah, I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to get to the backyard stuff. His early shots were interesting, but certainly not my style or preference. Once he got to the backyard his remote setup was kind of interesting, but other than that I didn't really get much new info. I might try the gnarly old log on the ground trick.

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Let's just say that if "Backyard Birding" starts with buying Nikon software at $150+, .... Nah I'm not saying it.

Leaving it at that. For now.

Where does one get a gnarly old log?

Dawg Pics said:

Where does one get a gnarly old log?

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Have you seen my yard?! Where does one not?! LOL Seriously, though, if you've got dead or old trees around you'll get a branch like this every time there are winds (I had 4 I had to clear yesterday. With dead trees you'll get bigger chunks when they topple.

There's some stuff in here that's useful and interesting - like buying $150 software so you can "bird" from inside. But I have to say that at the heart of his technique here is something I take great issue with, because he's essentially baiting so that the birds come to him.

Now for backyard songbirds this isn't an issue, particularly if you continue to feed them throughout the year. Heck, I spread seed in places outside of feeders so I can get the bird somewhere more "natural". But the truth is that photographers have been doing this with other types of birds and wildlife with alarming frequency to the detriment of the very thing they're photographing. It's the ethics of putting the value of the photograph above that of the subject, and while this guy doesn't really go there the fact that he is using the very technique in question without speaking to its danger in other areas has bothered me enough that I plan on writing to him about it.

There was an excellent discussion on this topic at Steve Perry's forum. It starts around whether or not photographs of animals in zoos or other areas designed to attract them is actually "wildlife photography" (I have no strong opinion on that unless the image is used a manner that is deceiving or breaks the rules of a contest), but there is a lot of great information in there about how wildlife protection organizations, like Audubon, have demonstrated that the actions of photographers have caused real damage to various species of owls and other wildlife.

Again, I'm not saying that what he's doing in these image is that. Just that it's "just like that".

@BackdoorArts

Ha. Kinda kidding. When I lived in south Louisiana, there was no problem finding fallen trees, limbs and stumps.
I no longer live in a wooded area. It is a 'hot summer-mediterranean' climate, and I am next to the Elsinore mountains and foothills. I have no problem finding rocks. There are lots and lots of rocks here. Maybe I should put some large boulders in the back yard. I would think the birds are kind of used to that here.

So to dot i's and cross t's, I reached out to Mike and suggested he add an aside about baiting and he said he appreciated the email and was by no means taken aback by it. Turns out he's known my brother for years going back to when Nikon was the only game in town for digital while he was at News Photo NJ and Mike was their rep.

BackdoorArts said:

So to dot i's and cross t's, I reached out to Mike and suggested he add an aside about baiting and he said he appreciated the email and was by no means taken aback by it. Turns out he's known my brother for years going back to when Nikon was the only game in town for digital while he was at News Photo NJ and Mike was their rep.

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Good to hear. He admits that he's relatively new to bird photography, so I'm glad he is open minded about suggestions.

Woodyg3 said:

Good to hear. He admits that he's relatively new to bird photography, so I'm glad he is open minded about suggestions.

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Which was obvious to me having been married to a bird nerd for 20 years longer than I've been shooting them. I asked him to take a peak and my Instagram since it's 90% shots from my backyard, but so far nothing. LOL

Damn, I missed it!

STM said:

Damn, I missed it!

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hark said:

Here is a replay of the Backyard Birds webinar for those who are interested.

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Here is the replay.