Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I shot this earlier in April when I was using the older 500mm lens (I was feeling lazy/sore and wanted to go a little lighter than my 800mm).  Ruby-crowned Kinglets are always hyper and getting one to stop still for a moment, much less one where I can frame it and focus on it in that timeframe, always involves throwing out at least 90% of my attempts which are usually a comical mix of subject blur and fragments of tail feathers as most of the bird has already left the scene.

Although in this case the fact that I was shooting prior to full leaf-out (due late April) raised the odds slightly.   The 500/4L is a little faster to focus than the 800/5.6L which probably helps.

Photo Harvesting Sites

A comment on one of my photos on Flickr this morning prompted me to go look at Tallenge, a photo site that touts itself as "Earth's Largest Talent Platform" and suggesting that dollars, exposure and fame can be mine if I submit my photographs there.

Alternatively, it's just another photo grabbing site, as judged by the legalese in their license agreement:

"By submitting your Entry, you irrevocably grant Tallenge, its successors, subsidiaries, parent and related companies, transferees, licensees, assignees, and third parties acting on Tallenge's behalf, a perpetual, non-exclusive worldwide, royalty-free right and license to use, exhibit, license, sub-license, distribute, perform, post, display, copy, publish, promote, re-format, reproduce, prepare derivative works of, adapt, make available online or electronically transmit and exploit the Submission, for free, in whole or in part, alone or in combination with other content or material, for any purpose whatsoever, in any in any media formats and through any media channels known now or devised in the future (including by way of example but in no way a limitation, the Internet, television, IPTV, home video/DVD, theatrical, mobile devices, and through any future means or methods of downloading and/or streaming now known or hereinafter devised), on the Tallenge website or any associated media platform connected to Tallenge."

Yes, they could be doing that so they can hype your photos for you and make you rich, or this is just another grab at your photo rights where they have unlimited usage rights to make money of your images.  It's by no means rare amongst photo competition sites, so you must always check the license conditions before submitting photos there.  (Note that Facebook and other social media sites that allow photo display are also prone to do this sort of thing).