Crazy Crax
Black Curassow (Crax alector), with a crazed look at Parque da Aves, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil.
Black Curassow (Crax alector), with a crazed look at Parque da Aves, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil.
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Aug, 2015Views
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Awards
Summer 2020
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the worlds largest aviary in Brazil: Parque das Aves This reserve rescues many species of birds and I believe they carry out some research on the captivity of species. Although this was not a purely wild location, it is similar to a reserve. I entered the birds home and felt very lucky to come quite close to many species.Time
Nothing special as this was at a reserve, for tips though I recommend avoiding midday. I think this was taking in the afternoon, but also always research your location. I think morning here was not the best light in comparison to the afternoon, because of the orientation of this specific site.Lighting
As stated above research the location!! I spent the whole day here to experience all the light from the day. For more artistic/dramatic shots aim for sunset/sunrise. These shots can be incredible but its risky, especially for wild subjects. Again I recommend afternoon, but morning can be just as good depending on the location.Equipment
I used my Panasonic G6 camera with the native 45-200mm lens. I have always gone with the Micro-4/3 system due to its lightweight capability and video performance. The crop sensor allows me to really zoom in and get close to the action, without having a huge, bulky lens. Sometimes I adapt my sigma 300mm lens, but here the subjects were close enough for the 200mm. No tripod was needed as I had good light and the birds were found at all angles, so a tripod was not effective.Inspiration
Simple, Iguazu falls - the location. I was dying to visit the falls, and this was one of the best things to see there - the aviary. There was such an abundance of wildlife, I would highly recommend anyone to visit there - especially if you like birds, waterfalls and amazing scenery. I love wildlife, but I particularly like to photograph birds because they are abundant, but ca also be the most challenging. I was drawn to this species as I have never seen anything like it before, and the curly feathers reminded me of my curly hair.Editing
Yes, I always shoot in RAW so I can enhance the photo. With Micro4/3 cameras, its always good to review your pic. The sharpness was heightened, and the image was only slightly cropped to suit the rule of thirds. I unsaturated some of the colour - by decreasing the vibrancy, because I increased the contrast. As a finishing touch for portraits I usually add a dark vignette.In my camera bag
Tripod - Monopod adaptable Lens cleaning kit, Micro4/3-Canon adaptor 12-45mm Lumix Lens, 45-200mm Lumix lens, 75-300mm Sigma lens (Canon Fit) Filters: 3xND filters - 1x 10stop ND filter and 1 Infrared filterFeedback
The best way to get portraits is practice, and if you are completely new to wild subjects, a reserve or zoo is a good place to develop your skills. Don't be shy to practice in these places, this location is fantastic but unless you have the money and expertise it is unlikely you can wonder in the wild safely to find these subjects. If you have wild subjects close to home though, thats the best place to start, you need to research your subject though and spend lots of time with them. Figure out their routines and camouflage goes a long way for birds. Please research the place before visiting - I am all for nature, conservation and research, please do not go to a reserve or zoo if you know they treat the animals poorly and such. This reserve could have negative aspects, don't get me wrong, but the overall goal was to conserve endangered parrots and give the best life possible to these species who have been saved from the black-market.
