From here, where?
This day is a notable one of sorts at The Drinking Bird. Exactly two years ago, at the recommendation of my dad who thought perhaps I had something to say about birds and inspired by a range of great nature writing already on the web, I dipped my toes into the blogosphere for the first time. Since then it’s been, in parts, a remarkable creative outlet, an impetus to get outside that I may have otherwise ignored, a means to meet like-minded people with whom I’ve had some great experiences, and a sword of responsibility hanging above my head. That last one isn’t always a positive, but it’s a feeling regular bloggers know all too well.
So what does two years mean for me as a blogger? It means I’ve got a solid following, which I’m extremely honored by, and a comfortable spot in the bird blog community, but am I really where I want to be? That would imply that I have an idea where I want to be, which well, I don’t know if I do. It does mean that I’m going to be trying a few new things here with a mind towards improving the blog in general, and not just because my traffic has dropped off a cliff in the last couple months. I hope to have these things in place in the next year, or ideally, even the next six months.
First, I’m going to try to move the blog to a new platform. In working in the NBN, I’ve come to really like the extra features of wordpress so I’m currently looking for a wordpress theme that I like. Any suggestions among bloggers out there? or at least a place to focus my search rather than toiling in the broad net of google searches? The sooner I find something, the sooner I can move on that.
Second, for a bird blog, I sure don’t have a whole lot of good photos of birds, huh? My camera options are limited at the time, and while I was able to get away with scenic landscape shots during my Big Year when I was hitting the road, now that I’m closer to home those aren’t going to cut it. There’s only so many photos of generic eastern woodland trail that I can expect any readers to take. Heck, they start to run together for me. So I’m looking at investing in a basic DSLR camera and trusty, relatively inexpensive lens that allows me to take passable photos of birds. This, because of the expense, looks to take a little longer, but that means I can take my time finding something that fits my needs.
So, with two years behind me and and eye on the future, the Drinking Bird looks to keep on keeping on. Thanks to so many of you for coming with me.
Comments are closed.
Happy Birthday, Dringing Bird!
I seem to be a very conservative man when it comes to blogging though, as I enjoy the simple blogs. WordPress blogs tend to be too complicated (too many options, different pages etc. to hide the content you're looking for on) and in fact the only wordpress blog I totally like is (big surprise) the Great Auk, obviously for content but also because it is plain and simple and I can see and easily find all that I want to see and easily find.
So, please, if you have to change, keep it simple.
@Jochen- Rest assured I'm interested in erring towards simplicity. Part of the reason I haven't made the switch yet is because I haven't found a theme that I though was sufficiently understated. WordPress seems to be the best platform for displaying photos, though, and as I'd like to get better at that, WP seems like a natural choice.
Congrats on two years of drinking birds…err, two years of The Drinking Bird!
And, Jochen, I know when you talk of only liking one wordpress blog you just forgot that we at 10,000 Birds are on a wordpress theme, right? Right?
Nate, I haven't loked at wordpress themes in a long time but if you leave the "just another wordpress weblog" tag line up top I will have to stop reading…
Happy Blogoversary! I'm glad you're blogging.
For what it's worth, I use a WP theme called Thesis and find it simple, clean, and flexible.
@Corey: well, frankly, no … er … yes of course. You see, I have this one problem with 10,000 birds: if I want to re-read a blog post that is so old it isn't in the side bar anymore but not old enough yet that I can find it in the archives, I am lost.
@ Nate: sounds good, the simple thing and the photos thing. As for an inexpensive photo option that's apparently good enough for a blog, may I refer you again to Laurent's Huron River Birding blog? He recently got a rather inexpensive camera and the results of his first post-with-camera (his most recent one) are surprisingly good.
By the way and speaking of the Great Auk: we haven't hijacked Carrie's blog in a long, long time. That's one of our traditions we nearly forgot about, ey?
We might have to make a plan sometime soon.
Aaand the Birdchick also recently switched from blogger to WP, you might want to ask her what she thinks.
As long as you're still blogging, Nate, I'll be reading.
Smashing Magazine has all kinds of compilations of wordpress themes. They often highlight simple themes.
Also, the Canon Rebel is (or was) a great entry level DSLR. I don't know about Nikon's offerings but Canon is pretty solid. Really, it's as much about the lenses as it is about the body.
@corey – There's drinking and there's birds. It still works.
@david- I actually really like your thesis theme, but have hesitated as I don't want to just rip it off.
@Jochen- You're right, we need to head over there and make sure Carrie still knows we're around.
@Mike- Thanks for the advice, I have been looking at Canon Rebels and will check out Smashing.
@everyone – Thanks guys, I feel bad now for letting my existential blogging crisis raise it's ugly head in the post. I wasn't fishing for compliments, I swear!
Summer is a down time anyway it seems, at least for me, too many people out enjoying nature to waste their time reading blogs.
Thanks again, you're all too kind.
my friend Marvin upgraded from his Canon 20d to a 40d DSLR. Don't know his plans for the old body, but I could ask him if he's planning to sell it if you're interested in a used, and slightly outdated DSLR.
@dad- I am interested. Ask him what he thinks, if you would.
Congrats! I look forward to hearing more about your move to WP.
Not only an impressive achievement, but one you crossed with topics/writing as fresh as when you started. I'm looking forward to where you go next, especially the abnormally high expectations I have for your photographs now.
-Mike
Congrats on your 2 year blogging anniversary Nate. Whatever you decide, here's to the next two and more.
Congrats on the blogoversary! A lot of bloggers don't make it this far. I'm still reading, and I'll follow whenever you make the switch.
I don't have any DSLR recommendations, unfortunately. But in the short run, would digiscoping be an option? Some people get really good results that way.
Nate, my camera is Canon's Digital Rebel XTi.
It is a fine camera but of course it has its limitations. I am particularly not so impressed with the colours (the whites are very strong) and also I have found it takes nice (colourwise) pictures only when in dummy mode (full automatic) but as soon as I change to a more manual mode (often necessary with birds), the colours get harder as if in full bright sunlight no matter what I do. The softness is lost.
I think what really matters is what you are planning to do with your camera.
If all you want for the moment is to add some pictures to your blog as a supporting feature to your writing, a DSLR might not be necessary and you can get very good results with e.g. a Panasonic fz28 as Laurent has shown on his blog.
If however you want to put more emphasis on pictures, e.g. like the 10,000birds blog, you will need a more expensive equipment (a DSLR) and this is where the lens enters the game:
I use a Sigma 100-300 mm privately and am not so impressed. At work, I have a Canon 70-200 IS and have found that it takes much, much better (sharper) pictures, so much sharper indeed that I get better results photographing the same bird with 200 mm and do some cropping than to photograph it with my 300 mm lens and not crop at all. So a very good lens is indespensable when you want to go for bird photography with a DSLR.
But then, a DSLR like the Rebel XTi and a Canon tele lens will surely cost you in excess of 2,000 $…
Geez, this was a long comment.
@Patrick- Thanks!
@Mike- Thanks! But don't set those standards too high yet, I've still got to put some money together. : )
@Nishiki- Thanks! The two years flew by, the next ones will too I imagine.
@John- Thanks! I'm especially honored since our first meeting was fraught with my jerkitude. : )
@Jochen- See, so much of what you said went completely over my head. : ) I guess I should start researching cameras a little more.
I have a point and shoot that's pretty good, and a scope that allows some decent digiscoping but the birds can't move, which limits my subjects considerably. Besides, with the digiscoping I can get far away birds and with the P&S alone I can get very close birds, but I'm lost for those in the big middle, which just so happens to be where the vast majority of the birds I'd like to photograph happen to be. Hopefully I'll have something basic in place relatively soon and accumulate the better stuff from there.
Congrats on the great blog! We're all looking forward to the next two years.
Equipment is definitely important but so is practice. You may do well to start small with a very basic lens and then move up. I have a 75-300 IS Canon lens which I used during our adventures during the Superbowl. I take decent pics with this very basic entry level package. The sad fact is that the top of the range telephoto lenses are pricey – but if you have the cash they are well worth it!
@Quintus – I thought you took some really nice photos at the SoB, so that your rig isn't a huge investment makes me feel pretty good about it.
Nate, at one point you'll have to think about your priorities: do you want to be a bird photographer or a birder with a camera.
If you strive to be the latter (as I presume) you simply don't want to get the absolute upper-class lenses as they are far too heavy and you'll need a tripod, so the equipment will limit your mobility significantly.
I saw it at Crane Creek, Ohio: the photographers would simply stay at the parking lot all day at the edge of the forests with a few oranges hung in the bushes in front of them and wait while the birders would walk the boardwalk and see (but don't really get to photograph professionally) far more bird species.
@Jochen – No, you're absolutely right, I'm a birder first and foremost, but one that would like to take a few nice shots of birds I see and have the ability to document rarities I come across. Not to mention increase the photo standard on my blog.
So I'll need a rig that allows me to do that without weighing me down to the point where I can't easily take it in the field, which would defeat the entire purpose.
So I'm a little late to the game, but just wanted to add my .02 – if the first two years are any indication of what we can continue to expect – hallaluja, and praise great Audubon's ghost. I think you have one of the most interesting, topical, and informative blogs out there – to the point where I frankly never noticed the photography much, as what you had to SAY really resonated most. Having you be part of the NBN was a brilliant move as well, and it simply gave us more of that great bloggy stuff.
I'm glad your here, and look forward to continue seeing ya ni the blogosphere.