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Apr, 2019Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the rookery inside of Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, Florida. Each spring, there are hundreds of birds, consisting primarily of egrets, herons, ibises, woodstorks, and spoonbills, busily do their breed, nest building, hatching, and nurturing of the chicks. Photographers (like myself) in the area, regardless whether they are professional, hobbyists, or amateurs, flock during the spring and early summer for the photo ops. The bird above, I believe, is a snowy white egret.Time
The best time to take photos is in the morning, as above, when there is much activity. In early spring you will see birds flying our the the wooded areas to gather twigs for the nests, fly back, and construct the nests. It is a very enjoyable sight.Lighting
As in all photography, lighting is very important. The morning sun usually provides the best lighting for photos. As the morning progresses, it is often necessary to move on the a stronger filter.Equipment
The professional and very serious photographers that frequent this habitat are generally seen with high-powered telephoto lenses and tripods. Since photography to me is a fun and rewarding hobby, I can not justify spending the money for the serious equipment mentioned above. This photo, I believe, was taken with a Canon T6i and a Sigma 18-300mm lens. My camera was also hand-held.Inspiration
There are five of us that met in an adult education program to learn about photography in the digital age, go out at least once per month to take photos. Going to the Alligator Farm, at least once a year to photograph birds is a regular event for us.Editing
I take my photos in the raw mode, and as such, I do post-processing using Lightroom. I have also started to use Luminar 4 in addition to Lightroom to enhance the photos I take. Photoshop to me, is a foreign language that I do not think I will ever be comfortable using, so I stay away from it.In my camera bag
My bag has one camera, currently a Canon 80D, a Canon 28-135m lens, a Sigma 18-135m lens, a a 14-18m Tokina wide angle lens. Also in my bag is a Me-Foto expandable tripod, a case with extra memory cards, and a spare battery.Feedback
The best advice I can give, especially at a place like the Alligator Farm where there is constant activity, is to be patient and deliberate. If you want to take a shot of a bird in flight, try to determine where there is the most flying activity, hone in on that place, and be ready for the moment!
