Long Beak
Jan, 2014Views
1174
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Top Shot Award 21
Amateur Winner Happening At The Zoo Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Happening At The Zoo Photo Contest
Cool Capture
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on a trip to my local zoo. I was in the aviary (one of my favorite exhibits), when I spotted this beautiful bird sitting with it's back turned to me. When I lifted my camera to snap the picture, it turned it's head slightly as if to look at me over its shoulder.Time
This photo was taken in the afternoon. The birds were pretty active in the aviary around this time.Lighting
The lighting just happened to be perfect. Since it was an aviary, they use a lot of natural light. This just so happened to be a sunny summer day, so there was plenty of natural light coming through the windows.Equipment
I like to keep my equipment pretty simple. In this particular photo, I used my Canon T2i with a telephoto lens. The long lens allowed me to zoom in on the bird and eliminate too much background.Inspiration
I love birds. There are so many different types and they are just so free and beautiful. Not to mention they are just fun to watch. So when I saw this bird with its back turned to me and its beautiful red feathers, I decided I needed to capture the moment. The bird must have known it was being photographed because it turned its head for the perfect pose. Afterwards, I just sat for a moment and admired its beauty.Editing
I don't believe in too much post processing. I like a more natural look. The only editing I did for this photo was to tweek the lighting and contrast a little bit to bring out the bird'a natural beauty. That's really the only editing I really do for most of my photos.In my camera bag
I only have one camera body right now, which is my Canon T2i. That is of course with me all the time. I always carry two lenses, a small macro lens (34-50 mm) and a larger telephoto lens. I find those two are the ones I use the most. Then I also pack a rain sleeve just in case. Never know when the weather will change and without a sleeve, a photo session can be cut short if it starts to rain.Feedback
My advice is to be patient. I can't stress this enough. Sometimes you will miss a great shot if you don't sit a minute and observe. If I would have just snapped a picture of this bird and moved on, I wouldn't have gotten it in this position. Also, try different angles. The same subject shot from different angles can change a photo drastically. The subject doesn't always have to change position, but you should. Experimentation is the best way to achieve a great photo!
