Show off your 'Yard Studio'

OK, this tree didn't not grow here in the backyard.
It died about a mile from here in another neighbor's yard.
I asked if I could buy it, he said I could have it.
The yard workers cut it down, hauled it to my place.
Dug a big hole with a big steel pole and poured concrete; then
used a backhoe to lift up this tree (which is hollow) than sat it
down on the pole.
So a pic of the tree and a smaller pic of it's rewards.
We call the tree Levina's tree
Oh, the tree cost $100 to have move and installed, I'd call that
a deal.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/PCQx​iY

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/QvHm​Td

Nothing fancy

Glad i visited this thread. I was under the impression most of the bird photographers on here were traveling long distances on walkabouts to get their bird shots. Up hill both ways in remote national parks. LOL Now i feel much better knowing i'm not alone on using perches and the ole trusty sunflower seed!

cbay1 wrote in post #18343920
Glad i visited this thread. I was under the impression most of the bird photographers on here were traveling long distances on walkabouts to get their bird shots. Up hill both ways in remote national parks. LOL Now i feel much better knowing i'm not alone on using perches and the ole trusty sunflower seed!

I was of the same mind Chris...lol! I had just picked up the Sigma 150-600 and I'm about to setup a feeder station in our backyard. Birding is new to me and I'm really looking forward to it. Trekking and travelling will come once I develop a few skills.

Thanks to all for your tips and ideas.

-Bryan

Im actually going to post mine this weekend when the rain stops. Everything is filling back in with greenery and flowers. I do travel around and take bird photos on the side, but most of my stuff is in my yard

MalVeauX wrote in post #18233556
Hrm,

I'm still pumping away with my old feeder project. It has evolved over time, and is no longer an outhouse style pop-up tent blind near a feeder. The feeder itself hasn't changed. I have changed it's location a bit, to get it more out of the sun, and I've done some brush clearing work to get some branches and weeds and foliage in general from right behind the station to give me a little more subject isolation. I've replaced my outhouse tent with a standing blind, because it got really hot in the tent. I used some re-bar that I hammered into the ground to act as stabilizing posts and dropped small bore PVC on there and made a frame big enough to sit behind. I zip-tied some weather resistant camo blind material across the frame. I just stick the lens hood through and I'm set. Things I've added is that sometimes I will use lighting. Straight studio lighting, big octas on stands. Silly maybe, but I've enjoyed the results and the birds don't mind it as much as I thought they would. I like lighting when possible because it helps bring out micro-contrast on feather detail. And if the light is really awful but the feeder is super active, I can always get enough light (just not as attractive ambient blends maybe...).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/LK12​4J IMG_0063 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/MbFG​cv IMG_0066 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

I started adding speedlights. I like the Yongnuo 560 III manual lights because I can control their output remotely so once I button them up in a modifier, I can still adjust them, and they're inexpensive (I buy them used around $50 when I see them go up). Realistically I could use a basic strobe, of which I have many, and I have wireless strobes too on the order of 600ws, but I like how light and simple speedlites are and I don't have to fiddle with it, I can get behind the blind and do everything remotely. Granted, now that I have an ETTL & HSS capable speedlite with the Yongnuo 685, I would probably consider having two of those instead (though they're $100 a pop), since HSS & ETTL make for a very handy lighting session, and I can also command those remotely too all the same, but HSS & ETTL gives options for controlling ambient and subject lighting a lot more than a pure manual light does. Only reason I haven't done it yet is because I rarely need to. When I set up, I control flash output remotely with my controller (560-TX) and if I want ambient exposure to increase, I adjust ISO. Simple. I do an initial metering with a light meter with an incident light reading at the feeder station to get an idea of where my flash output should be. After that I don't have to meter anymore, as I can adjust around that value with my camera settings to get my desired exposures.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/M458​sG IMG_4124 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

To do lighting, I use the camera in manual and meter with it first with my sync settings. In this case, I set my camera to manual, 1/200s sync speed, F5.6 (depth of field and sharpness) and metered, then adjusted my ISO until it was about -1 stop, so a gentle under-exposure of the foliage with ambient light. Then I plug these values into my light meter to get flash exposure correct, so I plug 1/200s and ISO 320 (which is what I ended up metering on the camera for ambient) and adjust flash power until it reads F5.6 on the output where my subject will be located (I metered center and slightly in front of the perches).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/M6GL​DF IMG_4141 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

Here's the 560-TX on my camear setup. I've really been using the 7D & 300 F4L IS combination a lot more than my 600mm. I can get really close. The F4 is nice. The IS is nice. And it's light and simple. It rides a humble Opteka Gimbal on a Benro tripod.

https://flic.kr/p/LgGe​zXIMG_4128 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

And here we are with a 47" Brolly Octa (cheap, $30!) with those speedlites inside doing the lighting. I went big with the modifier for the same reason you do in a studio, softer light.

https://flic.kr/p/LgFT​PVimg_a1326_stitch by Martin Wise, on Flickr

And here's one of my visitors:

https://flic.kr/p/M47z​rGIMG_3537 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

Very best,

These are cool! Do you ever move to get a different shot while the birds are there or do you readjust and wait for them to settle again?

One thought though, if any of you have a camera with wifi or bluetooth, you can just set it up on a tripod and sit inside and take photos using your phone or tablet as a remote viewer!
I've done it with my 70D and works great! Once it stops raining here, I will try to set it up again and get some shots. We have some bright Blue Jays and Cardinals coming around now!

cbay1 wrote in post #18343920
I was under the impression most of the bird photographers on here were traveling long distances on walkabouts to get their bird shots. Up hill both ways in remote national parks. LOL Now i feel much better knowing i'm not alone on using perches and the ole trusty sunflower seed!

.
Oh, my goodness - no, that is not at all how most of the accomplished bird photographers get their shots.

Typically, the more wild and remote an area is, the less used to humans the birds and wildlife are. . Birds and animals in remote areas tend to hide or flee from people. . So it is usually not a good idea to go into real wilderness for wildlife photography. . I spend a lot of time in remote wilderness areas, but I hardly ever get good pictures there.

The places that most wildlife photographers want to target are the areas where the animals and birds are exposed to a lot of people. . When the critters are used to seeing people all the time, they become "habituated", which is a term that means they become used to close human proximity. . These are the critters that we can get good pictures of, because they tolerate us being with them at close range for long periods of time.

Parks, refuges, nature centers, backyards, and areas around boat launches and campgrounds are the types of areas where one is most likely to get world-class bird and wildlife imagery.

.
.

Grizz1 wrote in post #18559723

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/22Pu​vyp IMG_7815 by steve findling, on Flickr
This may belong in Larry's thread on what we have learned about birds but it is my yard where I hope to shoot Woodpeckers when spare time and weather cooperate.
I picked up this old tree limb while cutting firewood, drilled a series of 1/2 inch diameter holes 1 1/2 inch deep, randomly spaced on a 4 foot section of the log. I fill the holes with suet then just lean it against another live tree in my yard. I had been using the wire type feeders that hold a block of suet and hang from a branch that seem to be constantly moving. Many birds are using this log now and they are consuming many more of the suet cakes now. I've seen as many as 4 Woodpeckers at once on it, usually the same species although Downy's, Hairy's and Nuthatches get along and will share. At my place the occasional Flicker rules, Red Bellies next, Red Headed, Hairy's, Downy and last Nuthatches. If I place it at a steeper angle it seems to be used less by Blue Jays , shallow angle and the Jays will clean it out in no time. The birds seem to like some of the more natural feeders I use, they do not use the wire suet feeders now preferring this old log. It takes more time to fill the holes but more enjoyable to watch them climbing up and down this old limb.

Nice setup Steve and a great idea. Hope to see more pics of the birds using this setup.ߘ

Terry, I sure hope to get some time in shooting birds and Wildlife before winter is over and I'll be sure to share.
Today I was working outside not far from this suet feeder log and kept hearing Woodpeckers making a fuss like there was a hawk or cat near them. They were Downy's, Hairy and Nuthatches, after looking the suet was completely gone so after filling they quieted down and began feeding. They are hooked on this log rather than the store bought feeders, I guess because they like climbing up and down it searching for food and probably comfortable for them.

...

I enjoy this thread and I want to keep it alive. Just my simple setup. It is five feeders on a WildBirds Unlimited pole with raccoon baffle (also prevents squirrels). I have a tray feeder, finch (nyjer) feeder, a safflower/sunflower feeder, a dome feeder (prevents large birds from entering) and a suet sandwich for woodpeckers. It was a lot of trial and error but this setup finally deterred starlings from enjoying all the while still attracting doves, jays, cardinals, finches, sparrows, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and grackles (yes, I do like grackles).

Looks well thought out and is certainly nice looking. Any ideas at the ground re. the mess? I've been debating a circle maybe about 8 feet dial. and fill with wood mulch. Burn my leaves there then in the fall.(Relocating the feeder of course.)

...

BlakeC wrote in post #18345183
These are cool! Do you ever move to get a different shot while the birds are there or do you readjust and wait for them to settle again?

One thought though, if any of you have a camera with wifi or bluetooth, you can just set it up on a tripod and sit inside and take photos using your phone or tablet as a remote viewer!
I've done it with my 70D and works great! Once it stops raining here, I will try to set it up again and get some shots. We have some bright Blue Jays and Cardinals coming around now!

Forgive my ridiculous tardiness here, I guess I didn't subscribe and lost this thread somehow!

I rarely move, I set up the feeder so that everything is in a horizontal plane relative to my camera so that my depth of field will remain shallow, even when stopped down, and cream out the background foliage. It's also to keep visitors from landing in difficult to see places and missing opportunities. It's also set up specific to the angle of light in the morning/evening to prevent back lighting and to avoid harsh sunlight creeping into the field of view as much as possible.

I've done the remote thing too; manually, but ultimately I prefer to do it myself and compose myself.

Very best,