This mama wood duck is sitting on her eggs right under our front window! She dug a hole in the mulch and laid about 8 eggs. This is now the second batch she's working on.
My wife and I will soon be receiving a Nikon D80 as a gift. The only thing I know about cameras is you have to push the button to take a picture. Are there any guides/books on photography that have helped you or that you know may help a guy get started?
Thanks,
Eric P.
BTW: I keep up with your blog and have particularly enjoyed your artwork.
Eric: Thanks! Yes, the D80 is a nice DSLR. You'll love it. You will, however, need to learn how to use it.
Of course, you need to learn the basics about light, exposure, composition, etc. All of that is no camera-specific. Get yourself a good book from Borders on basic photography.
As for learning the D80, read the manual that comes with it. But you might find some help here.
Then there's all that you need to learn about processing your photos once you've downloaded the files. If you don't have Photoshop CS3 or Nikon Capture NX 2 (which I highly recommend), then you will at least need Photoshop elements. Post processing is where you make the image look like what you "saw" when you clicked the shutter.
I continue to enjoy your blog and your images as well. yesterday I was driving along listening to NPR, only for the news stories :) and I heard a story about a new a new opportunity between 'flickr' and Getty Images. Something about Getty using scanning 'Flickr" for good images that they would buy off the photographers. Maybe Gettty would put photographers under contract. I immediatley thought of you and wanted to pass that along.
I posted a comment yesterday but its lost in cyber-space.
I don't think that you have a wood-duck nesting outside your house. My guess is that it is a hen mallard or gadwall. Wood-ducks nest in tree cavities sometimes as high as 50' off the ground. The hens also look different with a slight crest on the bag of the head and a white streak through the eye.
FWIW - I am a duck hunter and member of Ducks Unlimited.
Oh don't worry about me taking a shot. I hope that she remains hidden and successfully raises her brood. DU is a great conservation organization that wants to see high numbers of waterfowl.
12 comments:
Hmmm. Is there a body of water near your house?
Well, there's a pond at nearby Grant's Farm. It's about a 1/4-mile away. That's the closest water.
Pastor Meyers,
My wife and I will soon be receiving a Nikon D80 as a gift. The only thing I know about cameras is you have to push the button to take a picture. Are there any guides/books on photography that have helped you or that you know may help a guy get started?
Thanks,
Eric P.
BTW: I keep up with your blog and have particularly enjoyed your artwork.
Eric: Thanks! Yes, the D80 is a nice DSLR. You'll love it. You will, however, need to learn how to use it.
Of course, you need to learn the basics about light, exposure, composition, etc. All of that is no camera-specific. Get yourself a good book from Borders on basic photography.
As for learning the D80, read the manual that comes with it. But you might find some help here.
Then there's all that you need to learn about processing your photos once you've downloaded the files. If you don't have Photoshop CS3 or Nikon Capture NX 2 (which I highly recommend), then you will at least need Photoshop elements. Post processing is where you make the image look like what you "saw" when you clicked the shutter.
Hope that helps!
Thanks! I'll check it all out.
Pastor Meyers,
I continue to enjoy your blog and your images as well. yesterday I was driving along listening to NPR, only for the news stories :) and I heard a story about a new a new opportunity between 'flickr' and Getty Images. Something about Getty using scanning 'Flickr" for good images that they would buy off the photographers. Maybe Gettty would put photographers under contract. I immediatley thought of you and wanted to pass that along.
God bless
Jason
Jason, that is horrible news for people like me who work for nonprofit agencies and depend on flickr users for good cheap or free images!
Jeff,
I posted a comment yesterday but its lost in cyber-space.
I don't think that you have a wood-duck nesting outside your house. My guess is that it is a hen mallard or gadwall. Wood-ducks nest in tree cavities sometimes as high as 50' off the ground. The hens also look different with a slight crest on the bag of the head and a white streak through the eye.
FWIW - I am a duck hunter and member of Ducks Unlimited.
Dave Sarafolean
Dave,
I trust you on this one. I just pulled "wood duck" out of the air. Thanks!
Oh, don't shoot my duck. Please. ;-)
Yep, definitely not a Wood Duck. No white Cleopatra eye make-up. ;-) As Dave said, probably a Mallard. I won't shoot your duck; I'm a birder.
Oh don't worry about me taking a shot. I hope that she remains hidden and successfully raises her brood. DU is a great conservation organization that wants to see high numbers of waterfowl.
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