INTRODUCTION

Lately i have rediscovered my passion for photography. The last time i was obsessed with photography was when i was studying in the university about thirty five years ago. Back then i had acquired the best film camera i could afford -the Minolta XGM with a 45mm lens. Of course time has changed as we are now in the digital age and very few people still use the film cameras except the die-hard fans and those who wish to get certain effects. Gone are the days that we only get to see our work after sending them to the camera shops for processing just to find out that the lighting was bad, focus was out, or certain parts of the images were excluded. Now, we get to review immediately our shots using the digital cameras and discard any images that we do not like. We even get to process them using the in-camera processing software by converting the raw images to jpegs if we use the high-end models by Canon or Nikon. Along the way we get to save the cost of film rolls, processing and printing. Of course the trade off is we have to buy memory cards instead, but still it is cheaper in the long run.

Anyway, after using a few digital camera models from Samsung, Pentax, Olympus and Panasonic Lumix, i finally made the decision to go Canon as my expectation for the performance and image quality become more demanding. Initially i thought the Lumix FZ100 zoom camera was good enough and convenient for the purpose of shooting far objects and saving weight (no need to change lens), however later the image quality when compared to DSLR cameras were just not good enough, especially when cropped 100 percent. So i decided to acquire a Canon EOS60D DSLR which came with a 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 lens. Some people asked me why not buy Nikon? Well, Nikon cameras are good, it is just that Canon cameras are more ergonomic for my hands and feel comfortable holding them.

So, as time goes by my arsenal grew with addition of new lenses, a macro Tamron SP90mm f2.8lens, a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 non-IS lens, a Canon EF70-300mm L lens, a Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3,OS HSM lens, a Canon EF24-105mm f4 L lens, and recently a Canon EOS5D Mark 3 body and EF400mm f5.6 L prime lens. It is amazing how our appetite for new gadgets grow as our passion for the subject increases.

So as my arsenal grows, the genre of photography also has changed. Birding has always been my passion since i was a kid. I used to go look for birds after school all the time because they were so beautiful and still are. I used to have a tree house in the compound of my house where i used spend a lot of time observing the birds. Nowadays, i appreciate them differently by observing and taking record shots with my Canon EOS camera and zoom lenses that i own. I also enjoy visiting parks and jungles and being close to nature. It make me appreciate God's creation while at the same time giving me a good workout and relaxation.

So, with this i decided to create this blog to share my experiences, thoughts and photos with those out there who enjoy flora and fauna especially birds.

Enjoy!