Your very first bird photograph

[Duane N]

I thought it would be interesting to see others very first bird photograph or close to it. I save everything...even ones that should have been deleted "back in the day".

I started out in 2007 photographing motocross but got out of the hobby. I was stuck with a Rebel XT and a 70-200mm f/4L lens and one day a Red-tailed Hawk landed in a backyard tree.....this is what got me started photographing wildlife (mainly Raptors)....November 2007. I soon purchased a 400mm f/5.6L lens after this encounter.

[txcanon]

Interesting topic Duane. I tend to save everything too. I started out in mid April 2008 with an interest in taking pictures of our nesting Bluebirds. Earliest I could find was probably the 3rd photo I ever took.
Taken with a Canon XSi and an EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS. Straight out of the camera image.

[tonylong]

Well, I don't know about my "first" bird but back in March of '07 I had gotten my first DSLR fitted with the 300mm f/2.8 IS and this is my first "keeper" of a bird in flight:



In April of '07 I was struggling to shoot some seagulls with only my old Powershot S3 IS:





I had bought my 30D, some months before but didn't have it on this occasion, and I wasn't quite satisfied with just the 300mm "reach" so I gritted my teeth and went for more glass that would give me a chance -- the S3IS had a zoom that was like putting a 300mm lens on my 30D.

So, by May of '07 I was shooting with the 100-400:

[Candor]

Cool idea Duane. Taken with my trusty 28-135mm right before I bought a 100-400mm back in January of 2009. I think I posted this shot back then when first joined Potn.

[tonylong]

OK, I went back and found this first pic in my library, taken with my ol' HP Photosmart 850, in June '03:

[Grimscale]

It's easy to post a first bird picture. I haven't had my DSLR very long, I'm still learning the settings, and only had the 75-300 lens for it the day I saw this Northern Harrier gliding over a local gun range. this was the moment I switched from shooting just JPG to RAW+JPG.
it also showed me that the 75-300 is not really the best lens for shooting birds in flight, so I'm throwing all my spare change into a jar to get a better lens.

[campin123]

A beautiful Dove enjoying a Spring afternoon around my backyard pond

[jbrackjr]

I am sure my first bird photos have long bit the dust, but I found a most recent one from 2003 Crystal River, Fl. Came across these birds on a walk. Took a bunch of photos and this one I liked. My camera at the time was a Minolta S404.

[Joe52]

2010, taken with my Panasonic FZ38.

[Duane N]

I think some of you cheated.

Thanks for your contributions everyone....I can't help but go through some of my older files and just sit there and laugh and try to figure out what I was thinking at the time.

[chubri777]

Oldest I can find is this one taken in May, 2007. It was shot with a Canon A95 point and shoot held up to the eyepiece on my spotting scope.

edit. This Killdeer was shot a month earlier with my buddies 30D/100-400 combo.

[pepponeskie]

eagle eye by priduh, on Flickr

taken last july 2009. with a 100-300 5.6 on a 20D.

[Keebert]

I have probably snapped a bird or two without thinking but this is the first shot where I was really concentrating on the getting a picture of a bird.

[Cassiedup]

Not to hijack the thread but thought it would be nice to also add a later photo ..

My first ever BIF,

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And the same subject, same person behind the camera 2-years later,

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[markisclueless]

taken yesterday ....