Wow! You guys are awesome!!! I can't believe all the feedback I got on this!!

Jim...you mention props...good suggestion for when i'm at the beach. i usually do bring TONS of food for the birds...which i might add that i bake myself...no store bought crap for them!

Richard...i haven't tried using the continuous shooting mode because it lowers the resolution sooooo much....from 8 mp down to 2 mp. Also, it says in my manual that with fast moving subjects, focus adjustments may not be able to keep up. Really though, it's a great idea and one i should try. i think next time i go to my fav. duck spot, i try that! Thanks!

nikki...i think you and i are a lot alike...in many ways! writing has been my passion for most of my life. dance is my #1 passion though! since i started photography, i've hardly been able to write. photography to me is much like dance...ah...but that's another story...

randy...yep...yearbook staff for 2 years for me too. staff writer and photographer. uh...that was in 1980 & 1981. I'm having to relearn all over again too.

randy/donald...i have been working on trying to crop more in my cam and am becoming more successful at it.

joe...good point you make about anticipating where the subject will be when i press the button, and i do try, but jeesh is it hard...especially because i have a new cam! and that pic you posted was fabulous!

steve...you mentioned movin' around a lot. i do that too! just keep trying out different angles and positions!

Ad/Doug...i do the same thing...get in some pretty funky positions to get my shot. last summer i was hanging over a cliff and scared kemal & my parents to death! and ad...i will definitely crop if i don't do it right the first time in the camera

Doug...both your images are awesome! i think practicing with ducks or gulls is a good idea (no gulls here in Ky. though!). I really don't wanna practice on anything else because i'll be really pis_sed if i miss an awesome capture of say an owl or something.

yes, you're right...i'm still trying to learn my new cam, and i do think it'll help once i get more familiar with it.
i've been taking hundreds of shots as you suggested, and i've been trying to just focus on learning one new thing at a time. when i get that down, i go to the next. well, i'm slow.

Carlos...i do that too...just shoot when i feel it's the right moment.

Many of ya'all spoke of breaking the rules and composition being something that's automatic...like driving a car. i agree. i'm a rule breaker for sure! i feel like composition IS automatic for me, but i just don't know many of the rules. and i don't think about them too much when i shoot. i'm gonna try to make more of a conscious effort to do so.

Many of ya'all also mentioned being patient and just waiting for that bird to come along...or whatever it is.

i find it verrrrrry difficult to just sit and wait. now i can sit under a tree and read or look into clouds, but just standing there next to my cam set up on a tripod...now that's hard!

i've actually thought about doing that...setting up my tripod and just waiting for the birds. i STILL haven't done that. i mean, i know what'll happen. i'll just start looking up into the clouds or something 'cause i'm bored, and then i'll miss the birds!!! LOL!!!

anyway, please don't kill me guys 'cause this is such a long reply. i REALLY can't help it!!! i couldn't have said soooo much more!!!!! Pleeeeeease!!!! :) :) Thanks so much again guys for taking the time to talk to me about this!! Ya'all rock! huge hugz sheila

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