these birds are so beautiful, they look like they are carved out of wood and painted. they fly from a perch to capture insects in mid air. i have been fascinated by them for years, but have had little success capturing images of them. they love the same places that i do, trout streams, so they seem like old friends i found a spot to stake out some perches with good evening light near my house. when the power went out yesterday i knew where to go and the birds cooperated nicely. d100 sigma 400mm telemacro f5.6 1/180 sec manual focus tripod l.f. jpeg. i haven't seen any photos of these guys on this site so i thought would share mine.

NICK
" the fox fears not the man who boasts by night, but the man who rises early and goes forth"

Attachment #1, (jpg file)
Attachment #2, (jpg file)

Wonderful images. Thanks for sharing them.

Russ in CT

Nick, I agree! These are beautiful birds. I've been trying to get a good shot of them but don't have any I'm thrilled with yet. Thanks for posting yours.

How do you like your D100? I'm about to take the digital plunge and buy one. Any words of wisdom? I'm scared about spending more than I ever imagined for a camera. After all, I got my N90s mint for $380!

Dan L.

Dan L.
http://www.danlarussophotography.com/

dan, the d100 is a big chunk of change, but after having mine for almost a year now i couldn't be happier with it. i understand the cost thing too. before it i used a fm2 and loved it like a brother and now it sits in the pelican case like an orphan. digital is , for me, such a great thing i can't believe it took me that long to take the plunge. i was even thinking about developing my own stuff and making my own prints. then a pj friend let me borrow his beat up old backup d1 when he was on vacation and it was all over.
don't worry about the latest greatest thing or you'll never switch. there will ALWAYS be the next camera, but i think that 6mp is as good as 35mm and a hell of alot more fun. take your time and look at all the cameras you can find to get the one that's right for you. we're blessed with an amazing assortment these days so it's no easy task. good luck and don't look back. ask lordnikon!

NICK
" the fox fears not the man who boasts by night, but the man who rises early and goes forth"

Thanks, Nick. I needed that. The thing is, with all the film I shoot and get developed, I'd be spending the money anyway eventually--just not in one big heap. I had been wondering (worrying) about image quality and megapixels, but it seems like with the right technique and skill, the images are every bit as good as film and professional in quality.

Dan L.

Dan L.
http://www.danlarussophotography.com/

Nick:
Beautiful..... Nice going.

Re: Digital Cost
After nearly a year, and 11,000 images later, I have saved US$5,337 in film and processing (transparency). I do shoot at least twice as many frames as I would with film, but even at half the saving the camera was free.

"Ron Green shoots birds just for the fun of it." See some more at www.AvianPix.com

Hi Nick! They sure are beautiful birds. These are a couple of pretty pictures, too.

Cassie
from Beautiful British Columbia