I see you looking at me!
Belted Kingfisher that was very patient with me.
Belted Kingfisher that was very patient with me.
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Jul, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
There is a wonderful little park called Titlow Park in Tacoma Washington. I've seen the Belted Kingfishers numerous times but they were never in the right position or light to get a really good shot. That and they are flighty little birds. This day, all the details of a great shot came together. The right light, the right position and it didn't fly away! In fact, I got a number of shots before it literally turned it's back on me.Time
It has been said that the golden hour is the best for photography. This shot was taken around 11:30 am so I have to disagree when it comes to bird photography. It just depends upon the cloud cover, available shade and gentle sunlight. My equipment also dictates when the best time to capture the shot. My lens needs great light to get the image to the sensor.Lighting
A partly cloudy day is my best friend. Too sunny and colors get washed out. Too cloudy and the colors are muted.To have the patience to let the sun peek out from behind the cloud and gently highlight the subject, that is my moment to get the shot. If I'm constantly adjusting the camera settings, I could miss the shot.Equipment
This day, I had the Canon 7D Mark II with the Tamron 150-600 mm lens. The shot was handheld with VC on and no flash. it is very rare that I use a tri-pod. Mobility is key to me. I need to move around to find my shot/s and a tri-pod or mono-pod limits me.Inspiration
Mostly, the moment presented itself. When trying to get shots of birds, patience and fortitude is critical. I watch, I listen, I observe and I'm prepared to take the shot. Most birds will fly away when you approach too close, too fast. When I start taking shots, I'm far away and slowly make my way forward to them as I take shots. This way, the bird gets used to the sound of the camera as I get closer. I can get fairly close without causing them to leave their perch. I guess you could call my approach 'baby steps' because that is how fast I move towards the subject.Editing
I try to keep my post processing to a minimum. I used Lightroom 5 exclusively with this shot.. This shot was cropped and slightly altered for exposure in LR5. The original shot was 5472x3648 and was cropped to 1362x1362 because of the trees that were on either side of the subject.In my camera bag
Mostly I have the Canon 7DM2 and the Tamron 150-600mm but I've also used the T4i and the kit lenses. It really depends upon where I am and what I want to capture. Since my focus is wildlife and birds, the T4i and kit lenses are used for isolated subjects that are closer and less likely to fly away as I approach.Feedback
Patience, patience, patience. I've been to Titlow Park every weekend for 2 years before I got this shot. Learn your subject's behavior and be prepared for the shot. Are you after the bird in flight shot or the stationary shot? What are the settings you need to use? Know your equipment!. What is the f-stop sweet spot for your lens? Experiment with different settings! F-stop, Shutter speed and ISO can work together or against each other. Define what you want from the capture. Have fun and enjoy the journey! Enjoy nature! Find fun in experimentation. Learn from the failures and celebrate the successes.
