Today while moving some of the birds around and trimming some vent feathers, I got my Albino out who was born to me November 2009, at first I thought it was a girl Then thought it was a boy (both parents carry the ino gene)

 

But today I guess I turned Just the right way towards the window by their cage and saw my Albino had Brown markings plain as day its there I never noticed it before I account this for The lights I use are Daylight bulbs(not the kind for birds I found this out last week I was told I could use them for the birds even though they're not like the featherbrite lights I bought mine at a local hardware store) But I have a lot of trouble seeing properly with these bulbs. I have very odd eye sight to say the least Black lights mess with me so bad I look like I'm beyond drunk when I try to walk If I'm around them - same thing with the lights from cop cars, and ambulances I just can't handle the flashing lights but These Day light bulbs make me sick to my stomach, i can't see, Get light headed etc If they're used in every room This is why now they're only used in the birds room

 

now I know these brown markings are there I'm more than 100% sure of this! I know I'm not seeing things Plus i showed my b/f and he saw it too

 

now my new problem is I can't get a single picture to show the brown markings I spent over an hour in the birds room Trying With not 1 but 2 different cameras and every single setting they both have! and I still can't get any good pics, It also doesn't help she won't hold still she's like a toddler who found a bag of sugar and ate it all (HYPER and on the move all the time LOL) plus all the toys/swings/perches in the cage she gets behind them and i can't get a good picture

 

I tried again this evening Even used my small LED flash light and aimed it at her body trying to get good shots but still nothing

the only thing I got was some very pretty shots of her Blue to bluish purple tinge that the inos are well known for when the light hits them just right - But I even saw this In person in light that wasn't so bright and a few times I thought it was violet But it's very pretty none the less

 

I managed to get 1 picture I can see the barring on her head but nothing else really

 

So I'm hoping some one can fill me in on some secrets on how to get really good pictures of an all white bird(or just light birds in general I have several I can't get nice pictures of) so it'll show the brown markings I can see in person just can't seem to get it to show up in the pictures - It's very light and i think that's why I've missed it all this time

 

I have E-mailed my b/f's niece who has a really nice DSLR (i think is what they're called those high class expensive professional cameras lol) to see if she can come out one day and Take some pics for me But with her busy work schedule I'm not sure when she'll be able to do that, So in the mean time I'd like to try and get it done on my own

 

I don't have a small cage like I've seen a lot of members on here use to take pics of their budgies, and as of right now I don't even have an extra cage I can put her in (she's in the community cage with my other budgies)

the only thing I do have is a plastic Critter Carrier I use for my baby birds when I'm cleaning their brooder or If I'm hand feeding babies and have to leave home for long periods of time and need to take them with me.

 

so any tricks to the trade of taking good pics of the birds I can possibly try out?

 

Oh and the camera's I used are

Canon Power Shot S51S - 8 Megapixel

Nikon Cool Pix S3000- 12 Megapixel

 

and I've used every setting on them like macro, portrait, land scape, indoor, Sport(tried that one since she wouldn't stop moving lol) I think I even tried the Snow setting LOL (I was desperate )

 

Thanks in advance

oh and if you want to see the few pics I did manage to get where she was not either a blur, or a big white blob let me know and I'll post them in the picture area

Also I can't breed her parents to see if I get any more Albino with brown markings (yes i am desperately hoping I really do have a lace wing I've been trying for going on 5 years to get one!) Because her dad died a few months ago

For me my yellow or white birds are hard to get clear photos of I just bought an Albino budgie which has faint markings but with a camera you can't see them.

I use an all wire cage held together with cable ties, it has a large door at the front and I made a perch on a stand to go in it, I put coloured card at the back, being white birds dark blue would be good.

I use a small an aperture as possible F22 and F32, this will help to maximise depth of field and allow a greater working distance between the subject and the camera. I stand about three to six feet away. This type of working distance will allow the bird to relax more, aiding you to get a better shot. I focus on the cere of the bird, as this will make the whole image look in focus.

Bounced flash or diffused flash is better than direct flash as this will help to avoid the harsh shadow from an on camera flash, just a piece of tissue over the on camera flash it’s self can make all the difference.

I use an Nikon D70 SLR with a 28-200ml zoom lens which gives me the distance to stand back.

I do use auto for quick snap shots, I put the camera on portrait or auto and put a tissue over the flash, I have a problem also because my metz flash is for a film camera so I can't use it on my SLR and I have 4 flashes and none are any good for the SLR so I am forced to use the in built flash which is so annoying.

BUT most the time when a bird is washed out is because you are to close with the flash or you have the camera setting wrong and to much light is getting in.