Grey Lourie is a Beaut
Jan, 2016Views
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Awards
Action Award
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Top Shot Award 22
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Curator's Selection
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Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Birds of Eden located in Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa. I am a huge fan of taking photos here because this Sanctuary is very special. They take birds from all walks of life and try to rehabilitate them to be able to go back into the wild. Some birds are pets, strays, injured etc... and if they are not able to go back, they are very well taking care of and are given a 2nd chance on life in the largest free flight bird aviary in the world.Time
I took the photo at noon, 12:26pm to be exact. The light was perfect to take some amazing photos in this aviary. This was a perfect time of day because the birds were all out doing what birds do, feeding, cleaning, flying and socializing, this Grey Lourie was sitting on a branch, looking extremely happy with life while cleaning himself, i wanted to capture this moment and have a it as a reminder that we live in a beautiful world.Lighting
Being mid day has some great advantages and disadvantages, this photo was particularly difficult due to the amount of light being giving off by the sun, but lucky enough for me there is a WHOLE lot of trees and bushes at different levels in the aviary, so i was able to take this photo (STEALTHY) while trying to find the best exposure, ISO, and shutter speed to highlight the details of this beautiful birdEquipment
I used my good old faithful Canon 650D, with a Canon EF-S 50-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lense and a Manfrotto 679B Monopod with a Dolica G100 Pistol Grip Head. Sounds a bit overkill but this setup helps me get great balance and virtually no shake when trying to take photos of animals and birds.Inspiration
Animals and birds are the greatest wonders of our planet, to see birds like this make me very happy and shows what certain humans in this crazy world we live in still care enough to preserve and take care of them, no matter how small or large, i took this photo to show my friends, family about the smalls beauties we have in South Africa and to carry on trying to take care of our planet. Plus he is a prefect specimen of the Lourie family.Editing
Yes, i used Adobe Lightroom 5, very light post processing with exposure, highlights and contrast. i did how ever play with the sharpness to try and bring out the detail on the bird's body. Other than that the photo didn't need much else processing.In my camera bag
I am always carrying my Canon 650D (Until i save for my upgrade), i choose this body because its light and easy to take out or move around in Motorsport and animal environments, Canon EF-S 50-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lense, this for me is my best lense which take great sharp photos, has a great focal length, and if i want to shoot a video, the STM feature is fantastic if you want to catch every sound around you. My 2nd lense is a Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lense which is a awesome little guy fore super cool close ups on any subjects, large landscapes and food photography. I use a combination of a Manfrotto 679B Monopod with a Dolica G100 Pistol Grip Head for majority of my stabilization while taking photos, this is a great combo, very maneuverable (angles, height etc..), and can fit into most backpacks.Feedback
Patience, Patience, PATIENCE!!!! Photographing birds is so rewarding when you get your shot you have being waiting for, so being calm, not getting frustrated, and being quiet/stealthy is key to getting your favorite bird shot. You may go through tons of space on your cards and will come across your little gems that you feel like waiting in the bush for hours, going through batteries and memory cards and it was all worth it!!! Remember you are your best critic, never 2nd guess and just carry on clicking!!!!
