saracurtis_5788

A song sparrow hides among wild radish flowers

A song sparrow hides among wild radish flowers

May, 2023

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at a place in Napa County, California called Salt Point. It's a beautiful salt marsh pond adjacent the Napa River, which teems with wildlife year round.

Time

This photo was taken mid-morning. Birders are notorious for getting up early, but I am one of the few who won't roll out of bed until 9:00am. Still, the soft mid-morning light of Spring works wonders.

Lighting

It's all-natural lighting! As a wildlife photographer, I have to take advantage of what nature provides.

Equipment

This was shot as simple as it gets - a Nikon d3500 body with a Nikkor 75-300mm. Shot manually, of course.

Inspiration

This was one of the few times where I actually got the shot I set out to take. As the flowers of last year's Spring bloomed, I desperately wanted a shot of a little bird surrounded by flowers. This little song sparrow in a wild radish bush made my dream a reality.

Editing

Post-processing is not my jam, so this photo has minimal touchups - a little tweak to brightness and saturation, and that's it.

In my camera bag

I keep it simple - have you noticed a theme yet? Lugging a bunch of equipment around outside in the wilderness is tough, so I usually only take my 75-300mm lens with me. I also have an inexpensive telescopic lens at 400mm for when the animals are too far away. The quality isn't great though, so it usually gets left at home. I also sometimes take a monopod with me.

Feedback

Be patient and wear clothes that can get dirty! You will be on the ground and holding your breath waiting for the wildlife, sun, and wind to corporate. Also, shoot in manual whenever possible to best capture depth, color, and sharpness.

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saracurtis_5788

A song sparrow hides among wild radish flowers

Behind The Lens

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