Hi from Down-under.

[Chris Cooke]

Hi folks from sunny (too bl**dy sunny) Australia.

I am Chris, a young fella of 56 YO and a very enthusiastic amateur photographer for some 40 years.

In my younger fitter years I did a lot of underwater and skydiving photography but my first love has always been motorcycling and motorcycle racing (hence my slowing down as I acquire more metal in my limbs)

As is par for the course, 24 years of racing, 45 years of riding and now on my 59th and 60th bikes I have done myself some damage which has released me to concentrate more on photography as I no longer race bikes, jump out of planes or dive (much to the relief of my wife and two boys.)

I still ride every day and have added digital cameras to my bikes (video) and still love photographing the racing.

I have a great interest in the environment and love being outdoors and among our wonderful birds and other wildlife and photographing them. I also love Macro and am learning the ropes there.

My present arsenal includes 350XT Rebel, 450xsi, 2 30D's and my last acquisition a 1D MK III and a large array of L series lenses, speedlights and most of my old Canon Bodies and lenses (A1-F1)

Thanks for having me here.

Chris Cooke

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Chris,

You have many miles left on your treads! We're already enjoying your company. You seem like to have tried to grab life with all your limbs. I know you will enjoy the folk here. What's important for us is fun, friends and appreciating life and the opportunity to share ideas and great and not so perfect photographs. We want to always go from impressive to outstanding. That takes mastering some skills and we share experience to make that barrier less formidable.

So jump in! Your pictures, I know will be unique.

Asher

 

[Chris Cooke]

Thank you for the welcome Asher.

I found this forum thanks to a gent whose bird photography amazes me Arthur Morris and his compatriots from BPN Forums.

Over the years I have done an amazing variety of photography but none of it on the levels I now seek to master, and now, with time on my side, (I Hope) I will try to get the best out of my aging brain and rusting body.

Chris Cooke

 

[Chris Cooke]

A recent photo of my bird photography, which is improving with a lot of help from Arthur Morris but still has a long way to go.

These are two Stilts mating at the Edithvale Wetlands in Melbourne one of my regular haunts.

Chris Cooke

 

[John Angulat]

Welcome Chris!

I'm glad to see you found this forum. I'm a newcomer myself and I hope you find this forum as enjoyable as I do. Where else might amateurs such as ourselves receive comments, instruction and offers of assistance from pros such as Asher, Nicolas, Alain, Rachel and many others?
Admittedly, it's tough-love sometimes. Images you think are great might be pulled apart and critically scrutinized. However...I've learned something new from each and every comment (humility being one of them!). Equally, it's a pleasure to try and help others who ask for assistance. Pretty nice place all-around!

Welcome!

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

These are two Stilts mating at the Edithvale Wetlands in Melbourne one of my regular haunts.

Hi Chris,

Welcome to OPF. I love bird images, so don't hesitate to share some more.

On this image I would have chosen a vertical crop, just crop some of the left till you get an equal space on the left and right. This will produce a vertical composition in a vertical frame, very powerfull, full of action.

Bart

 

[Chris Cooke]

Thanks Bart,

Advice taken!

How does this look.

 

[Andy brown]

Hi Chris, nice images.
I'm new here myself and live in S.E NSW but grew up in Aspendale , a stone's throw from edie Swamp as it was known back then. My dad is a keen birdo so we spent many hours there perusing the chooks.

Cool to see it being loved still.

Sean Dooley's fantastic book " The big twitch" which I read recently also rates the swamp highly.

For those, unfamiliar, The Edithvale wetlands are a humble looking swamp in the middle of suburban Melbourne which form an important part of migratory bird's habitat.

 

[Chris Cooke]

Hi Andy,

I am a member of the friends of the wetlands which looks after the "wetland" at Edithvale and though hit very hard by the drought we still have enough water to look after our "Migrants" Sharptail Sandpipers, Whiskered Terns, Lathan's Snipe as well as our Australian visitors.

Recently we had a visit from a rare bird the "Painted Snipe" See photo. This little immature male has been resident at the "Swamp" for 5 weeks and has only been reported 4 times previously in Victoria

We will do our best to look after the Edie Swamp for you.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Chris,

Bart's suggestion, as usual was spot on. He is very smart and not only has a good sense of composition and if you wish to know about anything on the technical aspects of your work, then ask. Bart and others will jump in to give of their wisdom.

Here, I can't say enough how happy we are to see these especially unique birds. It's so important for us to enjoy this work and the more we see, the greater understanding we'll have of the wonders that need to be protected.

I hope you'll get many more pictures of this wonderful "Painted Snipe." See if you can get extra real estate around it so the final cropping can be powerful.

Asher

 

[Jim Galli]

Hi Chris! You're absolutely correct, 56 is entirely young. We're only half way through afterall.

 

[Chris Cooke]

Hi Chris! You're absolutely correct, 56 is entirely young. We're only half way through afterall.

I shall discus this matter with my Doctor! I suspect he will not be as optimistic as your good self but I live in hope.

 

[Don Cohen]

I shall discus this matter with my Doctor! I suspect he will not be as optimistic as your good self but I live in hope.

Reminds me of a line from "Catch 22":

I'm going to live forever, or die in the attempt!

Also - (some comedian - Steven Wright?)

I plan on living forever. So far, so good...