Views
439
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in Now That is a Lot of Crop Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Top Ranks
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken inside of a large Nature Wildlife area at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain GA USATime
This was my first trip to this amazing facility and I remember waking up early with eager anticipation. It was mid morning when I discovered this beautiful creature.Lighting
Natural lighting with lots of trees filtering out some of the direct sunlight but still plenty of illumination. Conditions were perfect.Equipment
I was putting a few more miles on my vintage Nikon D100 that day. My lens was a Nikkor 80-200 AF - D f2.8 telephoto lens. No tripod or flash just steady and slow and tried a few shots throughout the range.Inspiration
I found the beauty of this bird to be absolutely stunning. The colors were so vivid and it just sat there preening and watching me watching it. It was calm and did not find me to be a distraction to its routine. Some moments like this are just blessings and they make us look better than usual.Editing
I cropped this in a good bit but didn't do any serious shake or bake with filters. Maybe bumped the lighting / brightness just up 3 or 4 and then on contrast maybe up 1 or 2 but no double digit adjustments (using Photoshop Elements).In my camera bag
Depends on what I'm going after that day. I have some older Nikon bodies and then a newer D7500 that I favor. A newer AF-S Nikor 70-200 VR AF is always with me along with a wide angle, portrait and macro lens. I have a monopod nestled in amongst my fly fishing rods at all time.Feedback
I'd suggest scouting the area you want to shoot in advance if at all possible. Pay attention to distance from designated trails and trees and common perches and nests. I had the telephoto with me this day because I anticipated a run on butterfly shots and birds of various sizes and shapes.