In my neck of the woods this is what I think of as ‘meadowlark season’ because we have a lot of them and they become more approachable and easier to locate when their hormones start flowing and they’re singing on territory from elevated perches. I’ve taken quite a few nice photos of singing meadowlarks recently but this morning it’s a photo of a meadowlark with its back to me that appealed to me most.
Why? Mostly because of the dappled light but for other reasons too.
1/1000, f/11, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Three days ago when I spotted this guy from a distance I almost didn’t even attempt to photograph him because he had his back to me, he’d stopped singing and he was mostly in the shade of a nearby rabbitbrush. But in less than a minute as I slowly got closer to him the deep shade turned into dappled light and his face became lit up like a beacon. I only got four shots of him before he flew off.
It isn’t a spectacular photo but I like everything about it including its overall quality, the dappled light and the sharpness of the bird.
Shooting at f/11 in this situation was a mistake but I got away with it. I still don’t know the buttons and dials on my new camera very well so just before this photo was taken I was fiddling with my controls to try to change my aperture but I couldn’t find the right button in time.
Like Nero I’ve been doing a lot of fiddling at inappropriate times lately.
Ron
This might be my favorite among all the Western Meadowlark photos you have posted. I recall ones that show them singing, in which I imagine their song. But this one shows the feathers, especially dorsal ones, in such vivid detail; no imagining required. I’m liking this camera more and more, although I suppose the photographer should get some of the credit😉
Lyle, your reaction to the photo seems similar to mine. At first glance I didn’t think it was anything special but when I cropped and processed it I realized how much I liked it. At first I was going to post a different meadowlark singing. Glad I changed my mind. .
An outstanding image.
Glad you like it, Gary. Thanks.
Ron, I love the picture and you have taught me a new term – “dappled light.” My most special experience with dappled light was on 8/21/2017 for the solar eclipse. As I had my telescope and camera capturing the moment, one of the things I wanted to see was the casting of ~10,000 solar eclipses via dappled light (although unaware of the term at the time). To my great surprise and pleasure, at the height of totality, there it was on the ground just to my left, and I was able to capture it with my iPhone for documentary purposes. As an amateur photographer and astronomer it was one of the highlights of my life in that regard.
I’m glad you made the effort to tell that story, David. And happy to be part of it. Thank you.
The light is beautiful on bird and bush. And it is wonderful to get a look at that gorgeous feather pattern.
Thanks, Catherine. The dorsal patterns of meadowlarks are among my favorites.
I love that over the shoulder pose, and the details of that beautiful plumage are superb.
A successful fiddle.
“A successful fiddle”
Thanks, EC. By the skin of my teeth but it all worked out.
Beautiful photo Nero!
Yup, that was me on that morning Michael.
This pose is a winner, as it provides the opportunity to see and appreciate all those tiger-striped feathers and other interesting feather detail in this dorsal view.
And as for Nero, it all depends on what you’re fiddling with, if you know what I mean. 😉
Marty, I’m always careful about what I fiddle with!
Ron, might not be “spectacular”, but that is a damn fine photo. Really like it for all the reasons you stated. The light is excellent and the photo looks very sharp. And of course credit to the Meadowlark too. I am always happy to see them sitting up like that singing away in the spring.
Thanks, Everett. You bet, I’ll give lots of credit to the meadowlark.
Lovely, I understand the button problem, learning my new more advanced camera. I think there a some that I will never use.
Jo, there are certainly some settings I will never see. Or use.
I really like the back shot with a nice head angle. You can see the light on the bush in the front which compliments it.
Thanks, Bruce.
“Like Nero” I chuckled. I like that you shared this because it is timely for me. I’m in the middle of creating an Oracle deck with Lisa Hunt. She asked me if we were going to do some more common flowers. This was because I’d suggested chamisa aka rabbitbush. :).
This meadowlark is really pretty in the way the yellow shines.
“This was because I’d suggested chamisa aka rabbitbush”
Good choice, Arwen. I love that stuff. Some folks don’t because they’re allergic to the pollen.
I’m enjoying your episodes with the new camera, especially as I am experiencing the same thing with my R5 but lack your prior level of experience. Are you using the eye focus on the smaller birds and how close are you to them?
Yes, in that situation I’m usually using animal/eye detection. How close I am to them varies. A lot.
Beautiful! 🙂 Everything about the photo is “crisp” and light on the bird’s face and back set it off against the muted background….. 🙂
Thanks, Judy.