DSC_5242 B&W
Feb, 2015Views
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jeffthomas_2443
February 18, 2015
Love this in B&W, the rule of thirds,very nice would love to see more..
welcome to VB
welcome to VB
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Birds Hill National Park here at home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I am a bird lover and love getting out to nature to photograph them in their natural surroundings.Time
This image was taken on a cold winter day around 2pm. Chickadee's are one of our few birds that don't take off south for the winter. While they are a common bird to see they can be tricky. They are usually skittish and don't like people getting to close to them. But if you visit the same spot often, sit in one spot long enough, an have a bit of food in your pocket, eventually they will eat out of your hand. I myself visited this site about 4 times before they got use to me enough where they would sit still long enough for me to grab a few pictures.Lighting
The lighting on this day was perfect. It was a bright clear day! I knew I would be going into the trees and there would be some coverage from the harsh sun bouncing off the snow. I had to make sure my angles were good though so that the sun flares didn't obstruct my photographs and burn out my highlights.Equipment
I used my Nikon D7000 with my AF-S macro 105mm 1:2.8 lens wih VR. I did not use a tripod for this shoot as the birds bounce around a lot and you have to be able to adjust your angles very quickly. I had a hood on my lens and used the natural light of the scene so no flash.Inspiration
As I said I am a bird lover. I knew I wanted to get some great shots of these little beauties so I planned ahead. I went to a spot where I knew people had hung feeders and where they liked to gather. I visited the site often prior to shooting. I went with no camera and just sat in the snow with them, putting out little piles of food around me. They got use to me enough where they would hop on me and off again going from pile to pile, and even ate right out of my hand by the end of day 3 visiting. Th next visit I brought my camera and started shooting. I find birds fascinating. They are always shy at first but once they get to know you they can be as loyal as dogs. I have a pet bird myself and he is what got me wanting to go out and shoot them in nature.Editing
I tend not to do to much processing. I like the raw natural beauty nature give us. All I did was correct the white balance slightly and bright down the highlights to get the detail in his feathers. I then switched the photograph into black and white to take away the distraction of the orange moss on the tree's around the bird away. He was already black and white so he didn't get altered dramatically.In my camera bag
I always carry some sort of camera with me. My Nikon D7000 is my go to! If I am not planning a shoot I usually carry an Olympus Stylus Tough or I have lens attachments to my phone. In my gear bag going out for a shoot I always have my standard 18-105mm lens as well as my AF-S macro 105mm 1:2.8 lens wih VR. I have also just recently acquired a Tokina wide angle SD 11-16 F2.8 lens which has proven well so far. I always carry 2 batteries with me, lens cleaner, a lens pen, plenty of cleaning clothes, and plenty of memory cards. A mono pole as well as a small tripod that i can bend to any shape and wrap around a tree if I need to. My backpack I carry all of my gear in also comes with its own rain coat so I always make sure to have that in hand to just in case. Winnipeg weather changes on a dime so better same than sorry. For myself I make sure to have plenty of water, plus granola bars & protein bars for my longer hikes.Feedback
Be prepared for anything. You never know when or if the weather is going to change so be prepared. Be patient! These are wild animals they don't have an agenda like we do, they do things on their own time, let them. Be ready with your camera they move around and change so much be at attention so that when they finally do what you want you can get that picture. Make sure not to get frustrated and don't focus at reviewing your image after you take it. Keep taking photographs until the animal has moved on and review later. If you keep stopping to review you might miss something spectacular!
