ryankostphotography

Mealy Parrot

I sat high atop the canopy at over 120 feet at sunrise watching the sun crest the horizon and the noises of the jungle come to life. It was one of those all too...
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I sat high atop the canopy at over 120 feet at sunrise watching the sun crest the horizon and the noises of the jungle come to life. It was one of those all too special visceral mornings that stir your soul. Many echoing screeches of the parrots zipped by in every direction. The tower I was on is safe but wobbles and is quite tiny. You have to be very careful as you don't want to drop your gear or trip as you manuever around. I waited for 2 hours trying to get a shot of these parrots. 100s of failed attemps to get one close and in focus. Finally one flew right by the tower and I locked on with my 600 mm lens handheld trying to keep it in frame as it fled by. I manually focused as fast as possible and underexposed it and set my white balance to flourescent in camera to show off the contrasts as the morning sun highlighted its beautiful colors against the forest canopy. I had an image in mind that would look like a painting. Somehow it all came together and it left me with this image. It's probably the most technically difficult image I have ever taken. I am pretty proud of this one. A stunning bird and a poignant reminder of the raw beauty of nature
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