![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/black-headed-grosbeak-6405-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"black-headed-grosbeak-6405-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nSometimes a dreadfully inadequate photo can be a treasure as inspiration. For me this image fits that description but prepare yourself, it’s a mess.<\/p>\n
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Two days ago in the mountains I trained my lens on this female Black-headed Grosbeak while she was perched in a bush for no other reason than to establish an ID. She was much too far away for quality photos but when she took off my instincts took over so I fired off a quick burst. Despite the woefully inadequate sharpness of the bird the photo intrigued me enough to process it just to get a better look.<\/p>\n
I seldom see this species. I only have a couple of photos of them that are very good and none of them are in flight so when I got this wings-up flight posture I was amazed in my ignorance by the yellows under the wing. I had no idea those yellows were there and I now know that both sexes have that color beneath their wings (males are even flashier). The more I look at the photo the more I lust after high quality, sharp flight shots of either sex with the wings up.<\/p>\n
So getting one (or more) of them will now be on my short list of high priority bird photography goals. Setting bird photography goals has worked for me in the past, especially when I go public with it like this – that really puts the pressure on. It may take months or even years if I succeed at all but now I know that I’ll always set up for flight or takeoff shots whenever I get a Black-headed Grosbeak in my viewfinder.<\/p>\n
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Something else caught my eye about this photo. I love that background but for the life of me I can’t adequately explain why and I know that many others won’t share my fascination with it (but broad appeal of the background isn’t going to be my point). Perhaps it’s just because it’s so… unusual, but whatever it is it just grabs me. In my mind’s eye I can picture a variety of colorful (sharp) birds in flight against that background that would really get my juices flowing.<\/p>\n
For some photographers that’s all it would take. During processing they’d use a background like this that appeals to them and paste birds into it that weren’t really there. I know of bird photographers who do that and to make matters even worse they don’t disclose what they’ve done. One of them comes to mind as I write this, a Florida bird photographer who is notorious for pasting birds into backgrounds he likes, especially dramatic skies, and then not disclosing what he’s done. I was accused of doing it once with a Northern Harrier in flight and it really pissed me off because of course I hadn’t.<\/p>\n
But you’d be surprised by how many photographers do it and get away with it. This Florida bozo has even won some minor bird photography contests using recycled backgrounds.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/background-6405-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"background-6405-ron-dudley\\"")
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It’s easy to do, though not nearly as easy to do well enough to fool a knowledgeable and discerning eye. Here’s the same background as in the photo above with the grosbeak removed. Pasting a different bird into this background would be a snap. And you could pick your bird. Hmmm, should I go with a bird that has complimentary or contrasting colors today, that kind of thing.<\/p>\n
Sorry, I went off on an unplanned rant with this post but I have strong feelings about deliberately deceiving the viewer and dishonest nature photography so once I started writing it just kind of flowed.<\/p>\n
Some photographers (and others) just don’t understand that once you sully your reputation it’s tarnished forever.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sometimes a dreadfully inadequate photo can be a treasure as inspiration. For me this image fits that description but prepare yourself, it’s a mess.<\/p>\n