rossba15

Blue Footed Booby and Chick

I saw this blue-footed booby and its chick while I was studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands. I took a trip to Punta Pitt and was extraordinarily lucky to b...
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I saw this blue-footed booby and its chick while I was studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands. I took a trip to Punta Pitt and was extraordinarily lucky to be able to see these beautiful birds during my hike.
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Apr, 2018

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo while I was studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands in 2017. Toward the end of my time on the islands, I went on a day trip to Punta Pitt, where I saw these Blue-Footed Boobies as I hiked. Punta Pitt is one of the few areas within the Galapagos where you can see all three species of boobies: Blue-Footed, Red-Footed, and Nazca. I was especially lucky to have visited during the breeding season, so I was able to witness the various stages of these birds breeding, including raising their young, as pictured.

Time

I will never forget the moment I saw this family of Blue-Footed Boobies on the warm and sunny afternoon of November 19, 2017. The group I was hiking with had just worked our way up a steep slope and, as we rounded the bend, were rewarded with these beautiful birds. We were already fairly tired, as we had spent the morning SCUBA diving, so it was wonderful take a moment to simply observe the life of Punta Pitt. I remember watching them for a while, as the adult turned the egg yet to hatch and fed the days-old chick, getting a feel for how Blue-Footed Boobies care for their young. It was a moment of pure bliss for me.

Lighting

I love the neutral colors that are highlighted by the lighting in this photo and how the eye is drawn to the bright blue feet of the adult bird.

Equipment

I used a Canon EOS Rebel T3i with a 75-300 mm telephoto zoom lens.

Inspiration

My passion for birds is my main inspiration this photo. As I studied abroad in the Galapagos Islands, I made it my goal to capture the wildlife of the islands through images, especially the birds of the islands. Growing up, I had always dreamed of visiting the Galapagos and seeing the native Blue-Footed Boobies, so being able to capture moments, such as this one, of these incredible birds was so fulfilling and surreal. Looking back on the months I spent in the Galapagos, this photo is quite literally a snapshot of one of my favorite moments of my trip.

Editing

The only post-processing I did with this photo was some basic enhancing.

In my camera bag

I always carry my Canon camera, with my 18-55 mm lens and my 75-300 mm telephoto zoom lens. I love having my zoom lens with me because taking photos of wildlife can be very tricky, especially in places like the Galapagos where you don't want to try to get too close to the animals. My zoom lens allows me to get great pictures of wildlife in an ethical way. And, of course, as a birder, I always make sure to have my pair of binoculars in my bag, to help me more easily identify the species of birds I am photographing!

Feedback

Taking pictures of wildlife can be very tricky. Sometimes I can take a hundred or more pictures before I take one that I really like, but that is actually one of my favorite parts of taking photos of wildlife. Wildlife is so unpredictable, so finally getting that perfect photo is so fulfilling. So, my advice is to be patient! You may not get that great photo right away, but, if you stick with it, you will be rewarded!

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rossba15

rossba15

Blue Footed Booby and Chick

I saw this blue-footed booby and its chick while I was studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands. I took a trip to Punta Pitt and was extraordinarily lucky to b... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow rossba15

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I saw this blue-footed booby and its chick while I was studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands. I took a trip to Punta Pitt and was extraordinarily lucky to b...
Read more

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