FotoCavallo

Robin

NIKON D90

Aperture f/6.3 ISO 200 Shutter 1/200

upload_date

Oct, 2014

Views

1699

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+174

Awards

Contest Finalist in Anything Birds Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Small Wildlife Photo Contest

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You should join my challenge "Robins & Blue Jays" :-)

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in my front yard in New Jersey. This tree (weeping cherry) is literally two steps from my front porch.

Time

This was taken in the afternoon. I had seen this robin sitting in the tree that morning, and when I walked outside later that day she was still perched there. I immediately ran inside to grab my camera, hoping she wouldn't be gone when I came back out. She wasn't. The tree created the lovely warmth of the darkness that surrounded her. The light behind her was naturally there. She managed to put herself exactly in the right spot for me to capture this photo in the way that I did.

Lighting

The natural lighting that was created by the partly sunny day is what helped bring the magic into this photo. It was all a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Equipment

This was shot with my Nikon D90 and the Nikkor 18-200mm lens. No flash was used.

Inspiration

My style has morphed into more of a storybook look--and when I saw this robin sitting there, I immediately knew what I could do to achieve that look with this photo. I'm quite inspired by artists who do impressive photo manipulation--Brooke Shaden, most notably. My photoshop skills are non-existent when it comes to her style of manipulation, so instead I try to create that feeling of wonder and magic without it.

Editing

I did a little post processing with this photo--primarily just a slight amount of sharpening, and I also used a radial filter to get the subject to pop a little more. I played around with the color, but eventually settled on the warmer shot you see here--I felt that it made the shot more inviting.

In my camera bag

I've since upgraded from my Nikon D90 to a shiny new Nikon D750 which I purchased with a Nikkor 85mm 1.4. I never leave home without this combination. That lens is absolute magic. I also have a Nikkor 18-200 dx lens (which I hope to upgrade soon) and a Tamron 70-300. My primary subject matter is horses, and a lot of my work takes place at racetracks or local farms, so the 70-300 is an absolute necessity.

Feedback

Patience! Since my primary subjects are animals, I've learned that it's not only about your timing, but your patience. Sometimes it comes down to luck, and this photo is a great example of that. This female robin was scoping out my tree to build a nest (which appeared 2 days later), so she was a lot more brazen than normal, and was very tolerant of my intrusive shooting. When photographing animals, try to emit feelings of happiness and warmth--they will absolutely pick up on that and will interact with you more because of it. It sounds crazy, but I was speaking to this bird the entire time I photographed her, and I think she could tell by the tone of my voice that I meant no harm.

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Robin

Behind The Lens

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