Red robin
This robin was very patient with me and gave about a 5 minute opportunity to be able snap some photos of him. This one was my favorite. ...
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This robin was very patient with me and gave about a 5 minute opportunity to be able snap some photos of him. This one was my favorite.
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Mar, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on an early spring day. There's a wooded area close to where I live that I enjoy walking in.Time
It was early afternoon on an overcast day. This particular fellow had been hopping around through the branches and I was having a difficult time getting a focus on him. Then for about 1-2 minutes, he just sat there watching me. I was able to snap a few shots and this one in particular happened to be my favorite.Lighting
I always try to shoot with natural light when I can. I just think it makes your subject pop, and things to me, just seem to be more in perspective. I know sometimes another source of light can be helpful. But this particular photo was taken in completely natural lighting. I'm kind of glad that it was overcast that day, because I now find the robin is the focus in that photo.Equipment
I use a Canon SX40 to take my photos. The robin photo was taken with just that camera, no flash or tripod used that day either. Just me with as steady a hand as I could manage. I rarely take extra equipment with me on walks, its just easier bring the camera in its smaller carrying case. I have missed many a photo opportunity not bringing my camera on previous walks, so it always comes with me now.Inspiration
We had just come through a very long, snowy winter. When the weather was good enough to go walking again, I headed to my favorite walking spot, camera in hand. Our landscape was still in the sleeping stages, everything was still grey and brown. So I thought I would check out what nature I might spot along my walk. I spotted this fellow on my walk on a side trail. I stopped and waited very patiently. A robin is always a sure sign of spring, so i thought to myself, this would be a very fitting photo for this time of year. I think my patience paid off. This will always be one of my favorite bird photos that I have taken.Editing
I did crop this photo, to bring the robin more into the main focus of the photo. I wanted him to be the star! I did adjust the contrast somewhat to make the colors a bit more intense in the robin. The day had been overcast, so I just wanted the photo in editing to compare to what I had seen with my naked eye.In my camera bag
Of course my camera! I have a few filters and an ND lens. I keep extra SD cards and a backup battery. I also have a tulip for my lens, but I try not to use that. I find that I see the rim of the tulip in all my photos. I know my camera isn't fancy, but I make do with what I have. And I am pleased with a great many of my photos that I have taken using this camera. A friend of mine said this to me. "I always get annoyed when I hear someone say, that's a great photo, what kind of camera do you use? You don't hear someone saying, That's a great cake, what kind of stove do you use?" After her saying that to me. I just took pride in the photos I took and how wonderful I think they are.Feedback
Capturing bird photos can be a challenge. They are active, and nervous, sometimes even curious. But they rarely stay in one place for very long. Having a tripod can be much better for a clearer shot, but I prefer having the freedom to swing my camera around to try to follow a bird in a tree. Patience is definitely important if you are trying to get bird shots. There may be many all at once, or you could sit for some time, waiting for even one to show up. I have just recently been more interested in taking more photos of birds. A wonderful source of information from a fellow photographer who's specialty is birds. He uses an app on his phone that identifies the birds and will play a recording of its call. Playing that recording will bring that bird to you so you have a better opportunity for getting some shots. My sister and I were with him recently, and we saw this in action for ourselves. We kind of kicked ourselves for not having searched for this ourselves sooner.
