I don’t believe I’ve ever worked harder to get a photo than I did for this one.
You probably had to be there to really “get it” but suffice it to say that I had my heart set on getting a particular kind of shot and the photography gods were ganged up against me. My primary goal was to get one of the sapsuckers in flight just before it actually landed at the nest cavity entrance. But the lighting and shadows at the cavity were incredibly variable and the angles I could shoot from were far from ideal (the problems were much more complicated than that) so all I could do was keep on trying as I constantly changed my methods and my camera settings and continued to get soft birds, shaded faces, clipped or cut off body parts, wings in front of heads and more “air shots” than I care to think about.
I spent many hours trying to get that shot over four days and this was one of the few times I succeeded and actually liked the image.
1/4000, f/8, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Here the sapsucker is still completely in flight as its feet haven’t yet touched the nest entrance. The wings are in a position I like, there’s good light on the entire bird, it’s sharp, there are no annoying shadows in the foreground or on the bird and I have a catch light in the eye. That’s a lot of “things” to come together for one of these little speed demons in flight.
If I had my druthers the bird would be slightly further away from the cavity entrance for better separation but that would be me being picky and I’m never picky…
These sapsuckers were feeding a single chick in the nest and they usually carried only ants with them but sometimes there was a little variety. This bird has a load of ants (not easily seen) but it also has at least one large winged insect in its bill.
I learned a lot about bird photography while photographing these rascals. When you’re as frustrated by conditions as I was you either say to hell with it and try for some other kind of shot or you keep plugging away while varying your methods and camera settings to see what might yield better results.
And sometimes if you’re stubborn enough it actually works, eventually.
Ron
Notes:
- Photographers will notice that I was pushing the limits with my camera settings to get the photo I was after. I wanted plenty of shutter speed and depth of field and in these lighting conditions that required a significantly higher ISO than I prefer to use.
- These sapsuckers were photographed last week in Idaho’s Targhee National Forest.
Wonderful shot Ron!
Charlotte
Glad your perseverance paid off. Thanks for the beautiful picture.
Thanks, Marilyn. We looked for you multiple times at RRL last week but you must have been working out in the hinterlands.
I assume this is the same nest cavity you showed us a few days ago with the aggressive chick and annoyed parent. It is interesting that we don’t see the chick ready to ‘grab’ its food on this photo.
This shot is really a beauty and we’re lucky you persevered [really don’t know how you do it]. It is nice to see the checkerboard feathers [as Marty K called them].
Thanks for the great photo, Ron.
Alice, Yes, it’s the same nest cavity. The chick always pulled its head in just before an adult landed – probably to prevent poking each other’s eyes out with their beaks!
I am so glad to hear that you aren’t picky. And even more glad to hear that by pure fluke with no effort involved you got such a stunning shot.
(You stretch the truth, I stretch the truth…)
Tit for tat, EC!
Nice photo, I am surprised how sharp it is with ISO 1250.
Sorry if this message duplicated. I got interrupted by a bird issue. It’s an adorable issue but might not make it.
April, I’ve never noticed much of a softness problem that I can definitely attribute to high ISO’s. But then I don’t shoot high ISO’s very often.
Good luck with your “issue”!
I get a grainy look that effects the sharpness when I crop too tight if my ISO is high.
High ISO’s increase noise (graininess) and the more you crop the more it emphasizes grain.
That one chick is going to be big. Thanks for that shot. Made me smile. Diana
That chick fledged on the 5th day of the camping trip, Diana. Wish we had been there when it happened.
Patience often pays off with a jackpot at the end of the monumental frustration rainbow. And this shot is proof of that! Glad you persevered to get it.
You wrote, “…but that would be me being picky and I’m never picky…” LOL!! I can see your nose growing from all the way over here in Arizona! If you WEREN’T picky, you wouldn’t make the Ron Dudley magic happen, now would you? 🙂
And while I’m patient on a lot of issues, freeway traffic makes a string of really bad words emerge from my mouth! I’m SO glad other folks can’t hear that! Thankfully, I’ve found a place very near the middle of nowhere where that doesn’t happen.
Laura, On Saturday I was pulling the trailer home from Montana when I hit that traffic jam on the freeway. I was exhausted and crabby BEFORE that happened so you can imagine my attitude when I had to sit there in 100° temps…
Now imagine me in the same situation with three birds in the Jeep (who don’t do exhaust gasses well). That’s how cranky I get 🙂
Great timing–great photo…I got a laugh out the idea of you being “picky” , too…Who??? You??? ( love the term”buggage”–perfect!!!)
Thanks, Patty. Not sure how I got that “picky” reputation… 🙂
“but that would be me being picky and I’m never picky…” OK, this made me giggle-snort out loud and I startled the dog. 😀
Your hard work and perseverance paid off — big time! This is a fabulous shot! I love the outstretched feet, the “checkerboard” under the wings, the little bit of bare “armpit,” and the variety of “buggage” the parent is carrying. Very cool! (Way more cool than my being enamored with “””” this morning! 😉 )
Be sure to apologize to your dog for me, Marty!
I like “buggage” too.
I’m glad to know that being stubborn is a positive trait… 😇 I’m glad your persistence paid off. This is a wonderful shot. I tried to look at the insect to see if I could figure out what it is, but no luck.
I couldn’t ID that insect either, Susan. It looks like it has diaphanous wings…
That bird has a mouthful! And you have a great image here — congratulations on your perseverance, if not your patience. 😁
Chris,at times ants are literally dripping off the bill and face of these birds.
I really like this for the moment of landing.
Thanks, Arwen.
Love the photo! It and the others I have seen of these birds at this site (especially the one with the chick in peeking his head out of the hole) appear to have made your struggles worthwhile. Of course I wasn’t the one enduring all the hardships 🙂
Oh they were worth it, no question, Joanne. But at the time it sure was frustrating.
Under certain circumstances I have a great deal of patience, according to my wife. On others I have none, also according to my wife. As much as I enjoy nature photography not sure I wouldn’t just say the hell with it if I had to undergo the trials and tribulations you are going through! I admire your steadfastness, focus and concentration on detail. You are a man of passion and commitment for your art! I look forward to your blog every day.
Thanks very much for those kind words, Dick.
YES! Well done and a reward for struggling with it. 🙂 You have more patience than I do most of the time! I do like the image – it catches the action.
Judy, My patience is strictly limited to bird photography. You wouldn’t have wanted to be in the same vehicle with me on the way home from shooting two days ago when I was stuck in freeway traffic for over half an hour…
Years ago my mother got me a poster with 2 vultures on it one saying “Patience my ass, I’m going to kill something!” Still fits…………:)