This will help get consistent results on exposures while not losing the detail of the highlights. First dont use your exposure meter in the camera set every thing to manual. Use ISO 200 and start at F8 and 1/800 sec. For white subjects stop down 1 stop for example my camera is set to 1/3 stop for shutter speed, so for a white subject in bright light I would set it to F8 and three clicks higher on the speed to equal one stop or a resulting 1/1600 sec. For a dark subject brown or black you would open up one stop or 1/400 sec (remember three clicks of the shutter speed is equal to 1 f stop) at f8 or 1/1600 sec at f7.1. You can adjust the settings depending on how you want the background to show. The lower the f/stop the better separation you can achieve between the subject and the background if the shot is tight. The higher the f/stop the more detail you can draw into the focal plane from the background.

Great advise! Thank You! TMG

Thanks Randy. [If anyone here hasn't seen Randy's wonderful bird shots, run quickly over to his gallery.]

Misha883 I'm not a very good technical writer I hope any one reading this could follow it. I can also post some tips on lining up a shot and the use of fill flash to augment the natural light.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=626015&Start=1&Artist=Misha883&ByArtist=Yes

OK, [I had to run off for paper and pencil to see what this means for the "Zone System".] With ISO 200, f/8 @ 1/800 is basically the "rule of thumb" for bright sun on the back of the film box. This is what Donald's gray card would read in bright sun. These birds are VERY white! So normal exposure would put them into Zone IX, with no texture visible. You give one stop less exposure to place the birds into Zone VIII, where you should get some texture. And since the black birds are way down in Zone II, you increase the exposure by one stop, placing them in Zone III, where you should start to see some texture. That seems to agree with my last trip to Florida. I basically used a "Gray Card" reading, and the white bird did not end up with much texture. [I was able to tweak some out with photoshop.] ___ Now, how early do you wake up? Where do you hide? What lenses do you use? Do you bribe them fith fish or something?

My favorite lens is a Canon 100-400 mm IS it has good range and is very clear. Another consideration is that it's light in comparison to some of the longer telephotos. I used a Canon 500 mm IS and 600 mm IS this weekend they are just to heavy to use shooting off hand and require a tripod for any length of use, 30 min hand holding the 500 and I was really unsteady.

Thanks, Randy.