L0n3Gr3yW0lf
Hall of Famer
- Location
- Somerset, UK
- Name
- Ovi
I planned and hope to do a proper wildlife outing for the last 2 days in the dawn but things got in the way and I had to settle with afternoon walkie with the fluffer. But not all was lost as I got some of my best and favourite images despite her (the fluffer) nagging at me to get our asses moving.
The winter is a complicated season for bird photography, it's significantly easier to find and photograph the birds because of lack of foliage but also a lot uglier because of all the mess the branches make for the foreground and background. It's the best time to practice though.
A word of advice for those who are starting their adventures with bird photography is to find elevated areas like slops, hills and river and lake digs with forests or trees around or on them. The higher elevation will bring the middle and top of the trees closer to your point of view and give you a more intimate perspective on the birds.
Another tip is try to observe the edges of a tree where the branches extend beyond the thickness and tanglesness of branches and get a more simplified background.
If you can not then don't give up, take the chance and you can decide later if you like the picture or not. This Trusher and many others were a lot more skiddish then in the summer and it was very difficult to get an image of them before they disappeared. This is the only one I could get.
Woodpeckers can be even harder to photograph because they prefer very tall trees. This one did not wish to move from behind the tree, just sitting there with one eye on me like I was up to no good ... And then flying off realising that I was up to no good (photography).
Woodpeckers are some of the hardest (local) birds to photograph because they tend to be so inaccessible, both in reach and point of view.
In stark contrast Robins are one of the easiest birds to photograph, they are very friendly. Some are very curious and get close to you either to sing for you (it's absolutely adorable) or scream at you (if you are near their nest or feeding grounds) or just stare at you and judge your photography skills in silence (damn harshcritics critters).
As much as I love Robins they can get a bit boring to photograph, not because they are easy but because they can get so interested in you that they don't do anything else until you leave.
Sometimes the birds will just straight up abandoned you in the best of moments, just when you are about to get that award winning shot ... Damn it, not again.
Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have: a lovely couple of ducks, beautiful male and female just floating in their little pond, quaking to their little heart's content.
The personal limit of where I stop is when I notice the subject starts feeling distressed and afraid, the male looking quite worried what this big photographer with his tiny little dog are up to.
I get a decent image of the female and I give them my thanks, I literally tell them thank you because that's the right to to do and take our leave. Always appreciate nature and respect other's lives.
On the way back I stumble upon my first Egret (in a very long time) just relaxing in the flooded farm fields below my vantage point. I had no time to get closer because my little fluffer was quite muddy, wet and cold, she wanted to go home.
On my way back I came upon the woodpecker I mentioned above, this was the closest I could get as it was creeping higher and higher up the trees.
And on our way back there's a giant old tree, mostly bare of leaves and looking half dead, always filled with little critters, this time a hole flock of Chaffinches.
Luck was upon is because the sun was getting into sunset position and it was flooding the tree with intense warm light, it was quite the spectacle to watch and photograph. Made even better by the very simple compositions I chose to keep tree branches int eh frame to add depth to, what otherwise would be, a very flat image.
I played with a lot of compositions because there were so many of them (about 8 to 12 at times) and I cold get quite a few different outcomes.
Being so close to the tree (less then 6 meters) let me have quite a bit of Depth of Field to play with even at f 6.7 and I could even see a bit of reflection in their eyes, which was a priority in me picking the best image.
This one was my favourite of yesterday because his simple and somewhat symmetrical the tree branches are, the little bit of depth the farther branches in the (top side and) background are. But the image will be topped by the ones I got today (don't know if I will post that tonigh, it's already 23:34 and tomorrow I have to go to work, all day shift)
Just when I got in my neighborhood this little one was taunting me for a headshot, so I framed it, aimed for it's eye and took the shot with no hesitation... Now it's sitting on top of my laptop, framed and still as a ... Hmmmmm.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The winter is a complicated season for bird photography, it's significantly easier to find and photograph the birds because of lack of foliage but also a lot uglier because of all the mess the branches make for the foreground and background. It's the best time to practice though.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
A word of advice for those who are starting their adventures with bird photography is to find elevated areas like slops, hills and river and lake digs with forests or trees around or on them. The higher elevation will bring the middle and top of the trees closer to your point of view and give you a more intimate perspective on the birds.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Another tip is try to observe the edges of a tree where the branches extend beyond the thickness and tanglesness of branches and get a more simplified background.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
If you can not then don't give up, take the chance and you can decide later if you like the picture or not. This Trusher and many others were a lot more skiddish then in the summer and it was very difficult to get an image of them before they disappeared. This is the only one I could get.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Woodpeckers can be even harder to photograph because they prefer very tall trees. This one did not wish to move from behind the tree, just sitting there with one eye on me like I was up to no good ... And then flying off realising that I was up to no good (photography).
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Woodpeckers are some of the hardest (local) birds to photograph because they tend to be so inaccessible, both in reach and point of view.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
In stark contrast Robins are one of the easiest birds to photograph, they are very friendly. Some are very curious and get close to you either to sing for you (it's absolutely adorable) or scream at you (if you are near their nest or feeding grounds) or just stare at you and judge your photography skills in silence (damn harsh
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
As much as I love Robins they can get a bit boring to photograph, not because they are easy but because they can get so interested in you that they don't do anything else until you leave.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Sometimes the birds will just straight up abandoned you in the best of moments, just when you are about to get that award winning shot ... Damn it, not again.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have: a lovely couple of ducks, beautiful male and female just floating in their little pond, quaking to their little heart's content.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The personal limit of where I stop is when I notice the subject starts feeling distressed and afraid, the male looking quite worried what this big photographer with his tiny little dog are up to.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I get a decent image of the female and I give them my thanks, I literally tell them thank you because that's the right to to do and take our leave. Always appreciate nature and respect other's lives.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
On the way back I stumble upon my first Egret (in a very long time) just relaxing in the flooded farm fields below my vantage point. I had no time to get closer because my little fluffer was quite muddy, wet and cold, she wanted to go home.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
On my way back I came upon the woodpecker I mentioned above, this was the closest I could get as it was creeping higher and higher up the trees.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
And on our way back there's a giant old tree, mostly bare of leaves and looking half dead, always filled with little critters, this time a hole flock of Chaffinches.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Luck was upon is because the sun was getting into sunset position and it was flooding the tree with intense warm light, it was quite the spectacle to watch and photograph. Made even better by the very simple compositions I chose to keep tree branches int eh frame to add depth to, what otherwise would be, a very flat image.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I played with a lot of compositions because there were so many of them (about 8 to 12 at times) and I cold get quite a few different outcomes.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Being so close to the tree (less then 6 meters) let me have quite a bit of Depth of Field to play with even at f 6.7 and I could even see a bit of reflection in their eyes, which was a priority in me picking the best image.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
This one was my favourite of yesterday because his simple and somewhat symmetrical the tree branches are, the little bit of depth the farther branches in the (top side and) background are. But the image will be topped by the ones I got today (don't know if I will post that tonigh, it's already 23:34 and tomorrow I have to go to work, all day shift)
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Just when I got in my neighborhood this little one was taunting me for a headshot, so I framed it, aimed for it's eye and took the shot with no hesitation... Now it's sitting on top of my laptop, framed and still as a ... Hmmmmm.
