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<\/p>\nAnd a more detailed and overdue explanation of why I’ve been posting so seldom lately. A situation I’m fairly optimistic I’ll be able to rectify very soon<\/p>\n
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Ever since this female Belted Kingfisher’s favorite fishing tree was cut down several years ago, I’ve been having a devil of a time getting decent photos of her. She’s always too far away and usually in backlight. This photo, taken two weeks ago, is pretty typical – she’s backlit in low light and not as sharp as I prefer. Although she’s sharper than I thought she would be.<\/p>\n
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In this photo, taken eight minutes later on the same morning, she’d chosen an unusual perch to fish from (for her) that was a little closer and in much better light. As she dived on a fish, for some reason my first takeoff shot of her was soft, but this second one was much sharper. She’s pretty much centered in the frame because I didn’t have any more room at bottom.<\/p>\n
And this time she actually caught a small fish.<\/p>\n
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I just wish I’d done a better job documenting it.<\/p>\n
She’s soft, the photo is tilted, and I barely kept her in frame, but we can see that she was successful and we can also see the water splash and small vertical water plume she made when she exited to water. If I leveled the photo I’d cut off almost half of her, including the fish.<\/p>\n
This type of shot is one of the most difficult I regularly attempt. As you can see, my efforts are a work in progress.<\/p>\n
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OK, now for a subject I hate to discuss on my blog but I figure that readers deserve to know what’s going on. It’s been over a week since I last posted to Feathered Photography and about all I’ve done is give a hint or two in the comments as to what’s going on.<\/p>\n
Beginning in about late August my back started going south on me again, fast. I put up with it for as long as I could but it prevented me from going on long birding trips, and eventually even shorter ones. So, I’ve mostly been shooting along the Jordan River near my home.<\/p>\n
In the last six weeks or so I’ve had seemingly endless medical appointments, more X-rays than I can count, one CT scan, one MRI (postponed once at the last minute), one derivative of cortisone injection in my upper lumbar region (postponed twice. Apparently orthopedic surgeon schedules are “flexible” but one of the postponements was partly my fault – taking ibuprofen before getting steroids is a no-no) and another injection two days ago at the joint between my lower lumbar vertebrae and my sacrum. All in an effort to avoid another major back surgery, which would be my fourth.<\/p>\n
So yes, I’ve been busy. And uncomfortable to say the least but I’m finally seeing some hope from the injections (results often take up to a week to show up, if they show up at all). Some of my symptoms have improved significantly, to the point that I’ve actually been able to work in my woodworking shop for many hours, on those cement floors that would normally kill my back.<\/p>\n
Which gives me hope that I’ll be able to resume a more normal shooting routine, and posting routine, as soon as our approaching weather clears out. We’ll see how it goes.<\/p>\n
And hopefully my friends, that’ll be the last you’ll hear about my bad back for a good long time. If I don’t post more often soon, you’ll know why.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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And a more detailed and overdue explanation of why I’ve been posting so seldom lately. (3 photos)<\/p>\n