My name is Rob Toneguzzo and I thought I would do an introduction.

I have long had a great interest in wildlife esp birds though up until recently this was more from an artists point of view. I paint wildlife in mostly acrylic paint on canvas and like to paint as true to life and accurately as possible.

I need good reference images and will not use anyone else's work so I as long as I can remember I have had a camera though it has been the point and shoot type and while on some occasions I have achieved ok results my images were limiting my paintings.

So about 1 year ago I got a Canon 80d and a Tamron (gen 1) 150-600 5.6 lens and went out in my backyard to take some images of Blue Winged kookaburras and Forrest Kingfishers.

It was not long before I got better images which were suitable for my original purpose of painting from my reference images but I was not happy with the images and wanted to do better.

This began a quest for me to learn what i needed to do to get the best images possible with the equipment I have. I mostly scoured YouTube and the net (working out what was helpful and what was not) for information/tutorials on wildlife photography, birds and birds in flight and that is how I have taught myself so far.

I then began researching bird behavior so i could have more success in locating birds to photograph and that is when I became addicted to the Photography and my painting has taken a back seat. (that being said my paintings have improved too as a result of much better reference images)

It was my quest to improve that led me to this site and when I saw the quality of work presented I knew it was what I was looking for and joined.

I shoot RAW images but only have very basic knowledge of post processing and am really looking forward to learning more so I can get the best out of my images.

I have submitted my 4 images for assessment and look forward to feedback and being able to contribute and learn.

I have included an image of one of my paintings.

Regards,

Rob

P.s - Sorry, I just realized I have made my first mistake on my first post and put this in General instead if Introductions.

Hi Robert and welcome to Birdlife Photography.

Note that I have moved your post to the 'Introductions' category but not a big deal so don't worry about that.

As for learning how to do effective post processing, I think you have come to the right place by joining. Tthere are lots of articles in past newsletters (see Resources: Libraries and documents to find these; you will need to be logged in to see newsletters from the last 2 years). In particular, Ian Wilson has written a two part article that appeared in the December 2017 and February 2018 newsletters. These are comprehensive and a great place to start. Ian has taught me so much personally and has been very approachable when I've had questions myself. I would not be producing the photos I am today without his help (or it last it would have taken me years longer to reinvent the wheel). I'd encourage you to read his article.

More generally, we are currently working on collating all the technical articles from past newsletters and placing them on our website in a way that is easier to navigate and find material. However, as we run entirely on volunteer effort, there is not fixed date for when that work will be completed. Keep a watch out all the same.

Should you have any specific questions now or after reading Ian's excellent article, please post questions here or feel free to contact me (you will find an email address under 'About Us') or Ian Wilson via the 'Contact Photographer' button on one of his photos in our image collection.

Hi Rob
A big welcome to you.
What a marvelous talent you have. I see that the art of painting does give you a head start in learning the art of photography. If I were to replicate your painting in photo form, I would frame it the exact same way.
I would love to see a dragonfly in the bee-eater's mouth just to add that natural drama.
Looking forward to your photos.
Cheers
Peter Johnston.

Thanks Glenn and Peter

I will read the article and have a good look through resources

Much appreciated

Rob

Hi Robert,

I would like to add to the welcome you have received from other members.

It is good to see you have found your way to the Forum and I encourage you to use it to ask questions and start new conversations on subjects that interest you. There are a lot of good bird photographers here who are only too willing to get you on the right track and over any bumps that may hold you up. I look forward to seeing some of your pictures on our galleries. Don't overlook the Critique Gallery where you will receive helpful and respectful advice on technical and aesthetic issues. We have a number of accomplished wildlife artists among the membership so you are in good company. I hope you fully engage with BLP and enjoy your membership.

Best wishes, Ian

Thank you Ian. I was so impressed with the galleries and quality of images. I appreciate the assistance available and I look forward to reading your articles and hope to be have something worthy to post in the near future.