"jmc" wrote in message
...
I've finally purchased a longer lens for my XTi - the Canon 70-300mm DO IS
ISM. Nice lens, the shorter physical length is a lot more stable in my
small hands. I have been getting some very good pictures with this lens,
so I'm quite happy with it, despite the high cost.

I've been practicing taking pictures of birds in flight - raptors, for the
most part.

Not surprisingly, all of the ones taken with the sky as background, came
out with very dark birds. Also, for non-soaring birds, I'm finding it
very hard to follow them, and get decent pictures.

I take a lot of photos of birds in flight using my 10D and Canon 100-400
f4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. I turn off the IS and set the camera for ISO 400, Av
usually at f8 but less if the light isn't sufficient for a shutter speed of
1/2000 of a second or faster (1/2500 is better), focus set for center point
and AI Servo, drive mode set for continuous, metering at partial (although I
often forget and leave it set on evaluative). I turn review off. Make sure
the sun is at your back if possible. I always shoot in the RAW mode and can
adjust dark images when using BreezeBrowser to convert the RAW image to a
TIFF file. I take a lot continuous frames (up to 9 at about 3 fps with my
10D) as long as I can keep the bird in the frame.

Then you take lots and lots of photos. If there are obstacles around you
will find that you often take the photo as the bird goes behind the post or
whatever. You will also get a lot of photos with only part of the bird in
the frame or perhaps the whole bird but it is in one corner of the frame.
At times the background will be in focus instead of the bird, because you
didn't keep the center focus point on the bird. Keep taking more and more
photos. The more you take the better you will get in following the flying
bird. The smaller the bird, generally the harder it will be to photograph
it in flight. Practice, practice, practice!

Ron

Is there a tutorial on the 'net somewheres that'll help me learn how to
take better bird action photos? How much do I compensate when the bird is
silhouetted against the sky?

Pictures where the bird's not silhouetted against the sky come out better:

http://www.photosig.com/go/photos/view?id=1959314

Thanks for any advice or information!

jmc