Category: Bird Photography Methods
Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend And Remembering The Kindness of Another
In this case the old friend is a beloved lens and the kindness remembered was from my cousin Ken Dudley.
Redhead Pair
“If you’ve dated a redhead raise your glass, if not . . . raise your standards” – Anonymous.
Redheads (of the duck variety) begin to pair up on their winter range and some of the birds now migrating through my area have already formed their monogamous pair bonds.
Rough-legged Hawks In Contrasting Styles
Partially based on input from my readers I’ve been thinking more about styles in my bird photography.
Black-billed Magpie – Paying The Price For An Ethical Stance
By definition there is often a price to be paid for ethical nature photography since the image you get may not be the one you envisioned or hoped for.
Red-tailed Hawk – Same Image, Two Perspectives
This is a simple example of how changing the crop of a photograph can drastically alter one’s perspective on the image.
Red-tailed Hawk In A Steep Dive (and a point about rotation)
When a raptor dives on prey from an elevated perch one has the opportunity for fairly dramatic flight shots because of the angle of attack and wing position.
Flight Shots, Habitat And Depth Of Field
I’ve said before that plain sky backgrounds in flight shots aren’t my preference. But habitat in the background provides its own challenges for the photographer.
Photo Contracts – The Devil’s In The Details
A recent experience taught me that photographers (and other artists) don’t necessarily have to accept outrageous contract stipulations from “publishers” or lose the deal. There’s another page in that playbook.
A Two Woodpecker Day And The Temptations Of The Clone Tool
I’ve known for years that extremely cold temperatures can make many birds “stickier” – easier to get close to. Two days ago I learned that this maxim also applies to woodpeckers.
A Blackbird Who Taught Me A Lesson
Back in June of 2008 I still had many lessons to learn about photographing birds. This male Yellow-headed Blackbird was one of my more memorable teachers.
A White-crowned Sparrow And The Effect Of Depth Of Field
Two days ago I found this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow sunning itself in a wild rose-bush at Farmington Bay. It was a cold morning (you can see frost on the perch behind the bird) and due to the frigid temperature the sparrow wasn’t flitting around much so I did a little experimentation with depth of field.
Female Kestrel – A Twisting, Turning Take-off
Occasionally during take-off an American Kestrel will put on a show of its considerable acrobatic skills but it happens so fast with these little falcons that many of us don’t really appreciate the coordination and skill involved. Yesterday morning I got one shot that I think demonstrates it pretty well.
A Northern Flicker And The Kindness Of A Stranger
In early 2008 I was a frustrated novice photographer. I had recently invested heavily in an expensive “bird lens” and switched over from shooting in JPEG to RAW all in an effort to get high quality shots but it just wasn’t happening. My images were not as sharp as they should be and I couldn’t figure out why.
You Never Know In What Direction A Raptor Will Take Off
Because of my fondness for raptor take-off shots I work hard at trying to predict what direction they will take off so I can be as prepared as possible. But to say it’s not an exact science is an understatement.
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Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend And Remembering The Kindness of Another
In this case the old friend is a beloved lens and the kindness remembered was from my cousin Ken Dudley.
Redhead Pair
“If you’ve dated a redhead raise your glass, if not . . . raise your standards” – Anonymous.
Redheads (of the duck variety) begin to pair up on their winter range and some of the birds now migrating through my area have already formed their monogamous pair bonds.
Rough-legged Hawks In Contrasting Styles
Partially based on input from my readers I’ve been thinking more about styles in my bird photography.
Black-billed Magpie – Paying The Price For An Ethical Stance
By definition there is often a price to be paid for ethical nature photography since the image you get may not be the one you envisioned or hoped for.
Red-tailed Hawk – Same Image, Two Perspectives
This is a simple example of how changing the crop of a photograph can drastically alter one’s perspective on the image.
Red-tailed Hawk In A Steep Dive (and a point about rotation)
When a raptor dives on prey from an elevated perch one has the opportunity for fairly dramatic flight shots because of the angle of attack and wing position.
Flight Shots, Habitat And Depth Of Field
I’ve said before that plain sky backgrounds in flight shots aren’t my preference. But habitat in the background provides its own challenges for the photographer.
Photo Contracts – The Devil’s In The Details
A recent experience taught me that photographers (and other artists) don’t necessarily have to accept outrageous contract stipulations from “publishers” or lose the deal. There’s another page in that playbook.
A Two Woodpecker Day And The Temptations Of The Clone Tool
I’ve known for years that extremely cold temperatures can make many birds “stickier” – easier to get close to. Two days ago I learned that this maxim also applies to woodpeckers.
A Blackbird Who Taught Me A Lesson
Back in June of 2008 I still had many lessons to learn about photographing birds. This male Yellow-headed Blackbird was one of my more memorable teachers.
A White-crowned Sparrow And The Effect Of Depth Of Field
Two days ago I found this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow sunning itself in a wild rose-bush at Farmington Bay. It was a cold morning (you can see frost on the perch behind the bird) and due to the frigid temperature the sparrow wasn’t flitting around much so I did a little experimentation with depth of field.
Female Kestrel – A Twisting, Turning Take-off
Occasionally during take-off an American Kestrel will put on a show of its considerable acrobatic skills but it happens so fast with these little falcons that many of us don’t really appreciate the coordination and skill involved. Yesterday morning I got one shot that I think demonstrates it pretty well.
A Northern Flicker And The Kindness Of A Stranger
In early 2008 I was a frustrated novice photographer. I had recently invested heavily in an expensive “bird lens” and switched over from shooting in JPEG to RAW all in an effort to get high quality shots but it just wasn’t happening. My images were not as sharp as they should be and I couldn’t figure out why.
You Never Know In What Direction A Raptor Will Take Off
Because of my fondness for raptor take-off shots I work hard at trying to predict what direction they will take off so I can be as prepared as possible. But to say it’s not an exact science is an understatement.