pilated woodpecker visiting my yard
Pileated woodpeckers are beautiful large woodpeckers that often visit my yard which has been set up as a sanctuary for birds with food and bird houses as well a...
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Pileated woodpeckers are beautiful large woodpeckers that often visit my yard which has been set up as a sanctuary for birds with food and bird houses as well as bird bath and lots of bushes and plants that supply a food source on a daily basis. These woodpeckers are my favorite.
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Apr, 2020Views
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Awards
Winner in Red and Green Theme Photo Challenge
Curator's Selection
Winner in Complementary Colours in landscape photography Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Superb Composition
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Impressed
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kurtsnyder
November 20, 2021
COngratulations Joan on winning the complementary colors in Landscape challenge. I really love yrou image! Kurt
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JayneBug
December 29, 2023
The vibrant green and bold red color grabbed my attention. The quality of this photo is outstanding, truly an award winner. Congratulations!
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
During CoVid I spent a lot of time sitting in my backyard with my camera. This beautiful bird came to visit one morning while I was sitting by this tree that has woodpecker food feeders on it that attracts them.Time
I was sitting having coffee in a chair in my yard early one morning, probably around 7:30 when this pileated woodpecker suddenly appeared.Lighting
The lightening was completely natural. The woodpecker suddenly appeared and landed in the perfect early morning light. His beautiful crested red head contrasted against the greenery of the ferns.Equipment
I had to act quickly, so I picked up my camera and suddenly began shooting. I didn't want to startle the woodpecker so I was very careful not to move suddenly or get too close. Luckily I had preset my Canon 5D camera settings to an aperture priority setting of 5.6 and had attached my 100-400 L lens which is my favorite lens for birding.Inspiration
The first time I saw the pileated woodpecker was at a nature preserve in Lakeland, Florida. I was amazed with its size and beauty and so I began my mission to capture an image for my gallery that showed off its natural beauty. After many unsuccessful attempts to capture a photo that truly showed off its beautiful crested head, I was so glad to finally capture this photo that truly did.Editing
I always process my raw images in Lightroom, focusing on bringing out the natural colors and boosting the contrast slightly. I also used Topaz AI to reduce noise and sharpen the final image.In my camera bag
When I am on a nature hike and photographing birds, my lens of choice is my 100-400 mm lens attached to my Canon 5D mark 3. It is a heavy camera, so I recently invested in a harness that helps take the load off my neck. When birding, shooting hand held often works best because birds move suddenly and following them when your camera is on a tripod does not work well. I have also invested in a gimbal head for my tripod which is helpful when you are photographing birds that are more stationary and moving around an area where their movement is more predictable.Feedback
Birding photography can be very satisfying for nature lovers. Planning ahead and knowing where certain birds congregate helps to make your birding photo adventures more successful. I have recently joined the Audubon society and I have learned a lot about different species of birds while also learning where and when they can be found in my area. Investing in a telephoto lens, 400 mm or more allows you to get great images without having to get to close to the birds in their natural habitat
