Red-wing Blackbird in a Bush
A red-wing blackbird sitting in a bush.
A red-wing blackbird sitting in a bush.
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Jul, 2018Views
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Awards
Winner in Red Winged Blackbirds Photo Challenge
Peer Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on a walk around McIntosh Lake in Longmont, Colorado. When I visit Longmont, I try to get out as close as I can to daybreak at least one day at McIntosh Lake and one day at Golden Ponds. Usually I can hit each more than one day. I particularly like McIntosh Lake because of the variety of wildlife. I've gotten some shots of prairie dogs, various hawks, bald eagles, Canada geese, pelicans, herons, and several other kinds of birds.Time
By the time I took this it was getting on toward mid morning. I like to get started as soon as I can after daybreak. There is a four-mile walk around the lake, and the way I walk when I have my camera, that takes me a long time. This was about 3/4 of the way around the lake. It might have seemed a little late for ideal lighting, but fortunately I got some cloud cover that softened the lighting.Lighting
I think cloud cover might have saved me on this shot. It was starting to get late enough in the morning that I expect the lighting might have been getting harsh had it not been for the clouds.Equipment
I used a Sony A99 with a Tamron 150-600 lens. When I walk, I use that combination with a shoulder strap on the lens. I also have a wide-angle lens in a pouch on a belt loop. If I need wide angle, I detach the long lens and let it hang by the shoulder strap while I put the wide-angle on the camera. That lets me carry both lenses conveniently and easily switch between them.Inspiration
I like doing nature shots, and wildlife in particular, so I get out and walk and am always watching the wildlife. I've always liked the colors of red-wing blackbirds, so when I saw some on this walk I started shooting.Editing
I use Lightroom and do very little other than try to make it look like I remember seeing it. Usually that involves lightening the whiles, darkening the blacks, to just before I would start losing detail. On this one I turned the highlights down and lightened the shadows to make sure I could see the black eye against the black feathers.In my camera bag
As mentioned above, I carry a Sony A99 with one telephoto zoom and one wide-angle. Sometimes I'm too eager to get started walking and I forget anything else, but when I remember I bring some lens wipes and a couple of extra camera batteries. When I have a backpack to which I can strap it, I sometimes also bring my tripod and a cable release.Feedback
Get out into nature frequently and keep your eyes open. This walk around this lake is often crowded with people walking, running, skating, riding bikes, etc., but I still always see some wildlife. The earlier you get there, the better, generally. Fewer people are usually out right at daybreak. Then you can enjoy the lower noise level and have less movement to scare away your wildlife.
