Bird Paradise Masterpiece
This photo was taken at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on a foggy morning. You could here the different sounds of birds as I was approaching the resaca wher...
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This photo was taken at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on a foggy morning. You could here the different sounds of birds as I was approaching the resaca where 100's of different bird species were wading in the shallow waters. After processing the photo, I made it look like an oil painting masterpiece.
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Oct, 2021Views
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Awards
Action Award
Curator's Selection
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
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Happy
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This great photo was taken at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge which is about 15 minutes from home. It's a 2000 acre Refuge with the last remaining flood forest. This is the number one Refuge for great birding in the US where people from different countries come to get their life bird list checked off. The last remaining Spanish Moss forest is found here that gives it a midevil appearance.Time
It was around 7:45 am in mid October on a cool and foggy morning. I arrived early before other birders and visitors arrived, so I could sneak up to the resaca (river oxbow) where I could hear these birds 100 yards away as I was walking down the trail and getting closer. As I approached the resaca, I could see several hundred birds of different species making all kinds of sounds. I felt like I was in the Amazon and back into the prehistoric era.Lighting
There was light and thick fog at different locations of the resaca that gave the picture that special foggy look. It was the perfect lighting as the sun was trying to come through.Equipment
I used a Sony dsc HX99 camera which is a smaller camera than my previous Sony dsc Hx400v camera that stopped working after 5 months. This was my replacement camera which is a lot smaller than my previous Hx400v camera, so I had to learn to hold it steady to be able to take the shot. I was not able to use a tripod at eye level. Birds can sense you and take off before you take the next shot.Inspiration
Just been here at this special place on the Refuge that is a bird paradise at the interior of the Refuge. It's a remote place with little disturbance from people. The fog was a perfect background setting along with the natural light.Editing
I used Adobe Lightroom to give it that oil painting look adjusting the colors. I used to do oil paintings, so I can go through a process like if I were painting on a canvas. I got a lot of comments that it looked like an oil painting. In fact, this is my first picture that I sold in viewbug.In my camera bag
I usually carry my extra battery and cleaning kit.Feedback
The weather changes here in South Texas can be pretty drastic from super hot to cold, so you have to take advantage of the changes especially when birds are migrating through. Need to have patience and walk slowly, so you can detect bird or animal movements due to thick vegetation. It's like deer stalking; walk, stop, and look. You would be surprised of how many things we miss as we walk by. It takes seconds for lighting to change and can change the look of your picture. It's all about timing and location. Look for the unexpected. Take same pictures at a different angle, and you would be surprised at your results.
