Oriental White-eye
Apr, 2016Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Spring Selection Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
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Top 30 rank week 2
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was shot in the lower Himalayan range near the hill town Nainital (India) while I was birding in the wilds around the town.Time
Around 4pm in the evening - I was searching for the vulnerable Grey-crowned Prinia around the short lantana bushes. Remember, it started to drizzle and then a flock of white-eyes suddenly came around. Being a very restless birds the small flock was hoping around sucking nectar from the flowers. I realized that this bird was very near to me and I focused on this bird and continued taking my shots. This frame turned out to be the best - my favorite for this bird.Lighting
With evening fast approaching, the sun was setting behind me. To add to my worry, the drizzle just about started. But on a hindsight, I realized with the setting sun behind me, any object in front would be great to capture and so here is the result.Equipment
Shot on a Nikon D610 with a Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 Zoom lens on handheldInspiration
The bird itself is so beautiful and mysterious that any photographer with an eye for beauty will get inspired by the bird itself!! And here the setting was perfect with a background which matched the body color of the bird... I just needed to ensure my focus and aperture where in the right sense.Editing
Not much because the picture was a perfect shot in itself. I just had to crop the picture and probably adjust the WB a little to get the dramatic effect of the blurred background.In my camera bag
Other than my Nikon D610 and the Sigma 150-500mm lens, I keep a standby Nikon D7000 body and a Nikon 24-85mm lens for landscape photography. I also keep a Nikon DX ED Fisheye lens for capturing those dramatic effects. Extra batteries and SD cards are a must. Since I am a birder, my 10X42 Steiner binoculars are a must. I always carry the monopods along.Feedback
Bird photography is a game of patience and luck. Be focused because you never know when to expect the unexpected. To get that perfect shot, you may have to spend hours together on one day while it may just be your first shot the other day. Never disturb the bird, consider yourself lucky that it is allowing you to photograph it along with the flora around it....always remember you are on their territory and hence be very careful and respect the birds habits. Birding in the hills is always special - the fauna is awesome and in most of the places the birds come at the eye level which makes it more easier to get those perfect shots.
