Getting there slowly!

[Newses Bach]

It has been my aim to produce a great-ish picture to share, and then all the buts pop up. I've decided now not to worry about anything except getting a picture, warts and all, up on site if only to join in and share, not to burden people with by asking for advice. I decided it would be an exercise just in getting a photo to the right size, getting it on photobucket, and hopefully pressing the right buttons to make it available to other members (poor things!) as a learning exercise. Well, that was a help. Whether I will be able to complete the exercise before bedtime is another matter - being an away-too-long member the machinery may just not let me do all I intend. But I will have started. And maybe tomorrow my little offering will trickle through. Now I will send just so the site knows I am back, and then try my hand at getting a picture up. I do have one I'm pleased with, but will have to find it first. Like the others, I hardly deserved to get the shot at all, so far away and so unprepared, taken by surprise at an opportunity, then flummoxed by losing the bird once I found it by zooming in. Not a story worth telling, I suppose everybody has been there. But I am totally in awe, again, of this Canon SX50, and what it lets me see and even photograph with that lovely lens. Most of my photography (over 2000 pictures since new now) has been recording progress on renovations, photographing the termite damage, even the highway under the house they used to get in. Some photos of knots in the wood they didn't fancy eating. Progress on the garden for friends. Nothing I could share. Except for the birds. Such as they are, I warn you. But even though I am here in the spirit of sharing only, joining in, I find myself trembling on the brink of asking - how can I .... Would I be able to ....
Here goes, anyway. I'm back ....

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http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/RoCoCo9/media/219128xevS_zps66a9ead4.jpg.html
All right, this is one I shot at a vast distance, leaning against a pole, frustrated at the ease of losing the boid.
I expected nothing, as the sun was low and there was shadow. But I quite liked the bird when I looked at the photo, cropped out the foliage to get a decent look at the bird itself, and played with buttons to bring a little sunshine to the parrot. I also dodged the bird to bring up the colours, but I don't know that I could make it look as if the sun was shining on it, even a little bit - could I? Maybe I should try to master layers in Photoshop. Anyhow - the bird is what we call a Twenty-eight, and according to my research this variety has the distinction of not having a yellow banded belly, of screeching out "Twenty-eight" whereas in other parts of the country it only gets as far as "Twenty!" and it also has a red dot on its nose. Okay, on its forehead.
According to the internet, it is likely to be called the Australian ringneck , Port Lincoln Parrots (Barnardius zonarius aka Platycercus zonarius), or Barnardius zonarius zonarius & Barnardius zonarius semitorquatus. So once you've paid your money, you can call it what you like. I called it Cheekie Charlie, myself.
Thanks to this site, I am more alert to the presence of birds, as I want to take that photo that will stun you all. Well, may that day come, but in the meantime here is what presented itself to my dear camera and its overawed owner.

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Same bird, cropped massively, brightened a bit, only for sharing the spirit of Gotcha! Now What Do I Do With Ya?
http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/RoCoCo9/media/214928ParrotInAlmondTreeVS_zpsfabe4492.jpg.html

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http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/RoCoCo9/media/2075RedWattleBirdinRedgumTreeVS_zps567e9531.jpg.html
A Red Wattle Bird, taken under much the same conditions - very far away, shaking hands trying to zoom in, amazement I even managed to get it in the box, and greater love for this camera than for any I have ever used.

http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/RoCoCo9/media/2072RedWattleBirdinRedgumTreeBVS_zps425faa55.jpg.html
Likely the same bird, but in a different tree. Another impossible shot that amazed me and impressed me - I love my Canon! It gives me surprises I don't deserve. One day I'll find the connector for my tripod, and start getting serious, and taking coffee out to the garden specially to spy on the birds. I will try to rediscover the control that will shoot off multiple exposures to increase the chances of catching a charming smile on one of those marauding Twenty Eights, the ones that stop me ever getting almonds from my almond tree. I'll try to hold the camera right so I don't accidentally set off the delayed exposure control. I'll ... I'll ... I'll - oh, I think I'll go to bed instead.

Before I do - a couple of Western Rosellas. Or so I am told. I checked on Google, and there are certain differences - if you can't believe Google, who ....
http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/RoCoCo9/media/1501WesternRosellasS_zps13707e2d.jpg.html?sort=3&o=9

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http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405797044

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405790061

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag155/RoCoCo9
/2073RedWattleBirdinRedgumTreeVVSs_zps0beb8205.jpg?t=1405795874


http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405790027

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405790545

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405794951


http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405795026

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405789855

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http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405790061

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1405797044

I don't know how many learning curves constitute a learning experience, but I might have hit one or two tonight. Any that are still wrong probably deserve to be.

[ricktas]

There are a heap of tutorials HERE, and you might find the one on linking from Photobucket helpful, as you can make the photo appear directly in your thread rather than members having to click the link.

Once you get the hang of linking this way, you will find getting advice and critique much more readily happens.

[bitsnpieces]

As Rick said, if you can post them as an image, it's a lot easier to go through, rather than links.

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...-The-Test-Zone
Try getting some pictures into the thread - AP does funny things some times so it's good to give it a test run.

Anyways, I had a rough look through the images and without extensively looking to see what needs to be done here and there, there are a few simple things that I think would be handy.

One would be to try and not have anything covering the face.
Like Red Wattle Bird and Red Wattle Bird in Red Gum.
If getting the shot is different, sure, take one for personal memories before the bird flies away, and then move around a little, get into those funny positions you see photographers do, and then you'll get that shot - yes, photographers have natural yoga abilities for their work - you just don't know it until you try it. :P

The next one is portrait or landscape? For me, I like to look at the subject and see the direction it's going, so in this case, the bird. Are they upright? Or moving in a direction?
For example, Twenty-Eight At Bedtime, the subject is upright, portrait would work better. If it's in landscape, crop it for a portrait.
Cheekie Charlie Likes Almond Blossom - it's upright and you have it in portrait, great.
Western Rosellas at Collie RDA - their flow is upright, so portrait would be the go.
etc
Again, this is just how I see things, it's a flow for me - in relations to technicality and rules, I wouldn't know. Rules are meant to be broken right? :P

I believe subjects are only in the centre if for specific purposes and certain photos you're trying to take. Other than that, just keep them off from the centre. Whether you're on the correct 3rd corner or horizontal/vertical line, not a big deal (at least for me - as long as you're in the general area I think it's fine), but the main thing is off from the centre, unless for specific reasons.

Again, these are just some ideas and thoughts - nothing professional, but hope it helps either way.

[Newses Bach]

Thanks folks. I saw when I clicked back in I had not got it right; one day I will work it out, no doubt. Anyhow, that was just my first attempt to work out how to post photos - and I didn't. Maybe third try will get it. Maybe. I think I selected the wrong icon, Link instead of insert, or something like that. You folks were really kind and patient to persevere looking at them and comment. Thanks again. If I get a proper picture to post one day, no doubt my practice session will help me get it in the right place. No guarantees in this life, though.

[Mary Anne]

Would you believe I typed this for you early Sunday morning and forgot to press the Submit button
Thank Goodness for the Restore Auto-Saved Content as it was still there..


Hello and good on you for having a go, and how wonderful is it that you have made a couple of learning curves while typing this post.
As Rick wrote above there are heaps of Tutorials here and the best place to find them is to scroll up the top of this page and click on Library ..
You will also find How Do I there it is very helpful for a new member to this site also. And if there is something you do not understand just ask there are plenty of us here to Help.
You have managed to upload you photos to Photobucket good on you, though as Rick mentioned Members prefer to see the image on the page not the link.

I love Birds too, well all Wildlife really so I will look forward to seeing what you post on the Bird Forum though its better to only post about three image at a time there.
I have done a print screen for you so you can see the best way to post from Photobucket to here on AP as it looks a little different now, I hope this helps.

[Newses Bach]

Well bless you for that. Yes, I got desperate when I couldn't do the upload, and tried again and again. I meant to go back and delete, but life got in the way. Termites, really, and life got dictated to by a big job that became enormous and had a time limit on it. But masses of photos taken, just for the home carpentry record. I still feel clumsy with this big beautiful beast of a camera, but hope that when our overseas visitor gets here we will get some trips out to the country and I can play with the camera properly. Thanks again for your kindness.

[bitsnpieces]

Hehe she's cool like that.

Anyways, sounds like you've been busy, both with life, and also some photography. Anyways, hope things are settle down for you soon, if it hasn't already, and your trips to the country sound interesting - definitely looking forward to those photos.

[Mary Anne]

Good to see you back again, and I will look forward to seeing those photo's of your trips out to the country also. It was my pleasure

[bricat]

I'm pretty sure someone on this site gave me the link to birds. http://carolinabirds.org/INDEX/AU_index_ad.htm If not this is one I have but takes time to look through if you don't know where to start. cheers Brian

[Newses Bach]

Thanks, all. Well, I shot another Twenty Eight today - eating plum blossom this time - and I thought I'd ask how to edit it. Thanks so much also for the link to the bird forum - I couldn't see it, but with your help I hope to be there in just a moment.
Hmm. Not so fast after all.
Learning curve strikes again.
Maybe I will get the hang of it by and by.

[bitsnpieces]

So what do you mean by editing it? Like using a program to fix up some colours or crop and such? o.O