Unseasonably warm February weather brought the robins out early.
Unseasonably warm February weather brought the robins out early.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken a few blocks from my townhouse in Frederick, MD, on the way to the walking path along the Monocacy River.Time
I usually take my morning 2-mile walk around 7:30, but on this day the wife overslept, so we didn't get started until 9:45. I saw this robin sitting on the branches of a small tree about ten minutes into our walk. It was, as you can see, a clear day with a bright blue sky which made the perfect backdrop for the bird's coloring.Lighting
This is all natural lighting. Usually, on clear days, the light is too harsh, but the bird's colors stand out great against the clear blue sky.Equipment
S Canon Rebel T5, no filter, and handheld. When I'm taking bird photos on my walks, I set the camera for action speed and autofocus so that I can catch birds before they get away.Inspiration
The area where we live has dozens of species of birds, as well as other wildlife. If it is part of the environment, I shoot it. My goal is to document every bird species in our area.Editing
Increased contrast and cropped out some limbs on the right side for a better composition.In my camera bag
For my exercise walks, the only gear I have is my camera. When I go out mainly for photos, I have a 1,000 mm telephoto, a 300 mm telephoto, and a regular lens, a UV filter and my tripod. I also keep a good supply of lens cloths and a lens brush.Feedback
Birds are for the most part unpredictable. Sometimes they'll sit still and let you approach closely, or take off slowly; but most times, they move suddenly and without warning and dart off in all directions, especially the smaller ones. I find that auto focus and exposure allows me to react more quickly and get some good action shots--now and then. A lot of times, though, what I get is a part of the bird in the frame. Good thing with digital cameras, you're not wasting film. Just delete the bad shots and try again. Patience, patience; that's what it takes to take picture of wildlife, particularly birds.