After a ten inch snowfall and subzero temperature a male and female Eastern Bluebird cuddled together for warmth in the sun....
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After a ten inch snowfall and subzero temperature a male and female Eastern Bluebird cuddled together for warmth in the sun.
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Contender in the Photography Awards
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from my kitchen window where often my wife and I admire the many birds that frequent our feeders.Time
This is one of my favorite photos of birds. It was a cold January day. We had gotten a heavy snowfall the day before. This day the sky was clear and the sun shown brightly on the bright snow. A number of Eastern Bluebirds were visiting our feeder in the late afternoon. A male and a female eventually sat next to each other on the top of the hook holding the bird feeder. I began taking a few shots. She kept trying to get his attention and he just looked off in the other direction. Eventually he looked at her and I was able to capture this photo.Lighting
The sun shining off the bright white snow almost backlit the bluebirds, creating almost a halo effect around their head.Equipment
I shot this with my Pentax K-x and a Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 Telephoto lens.Inspiration
I found it very interesting and enjoyable the playful way the female Eastern Bluebird attempted to get the male's attention. Being able to watch and photograph their encounter was fascinating. Our kitchen window almost made me invisible to the two of them.Editing
Today I shoot all of my photos in RAW. When I took this photo I was shooting in JPEG. Using Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 I only had to adjust the midtones to better highlight their beautiful colors.In my camera bag
In my camera bag I always carry my Pentax K-x and four lenses: a Pentax 18-55 mm, a 50-200 mm telephoto, a 50 mm Macro and a Sigma 70-300 mm telephoto. I also carry two Neutral Density filters and a circular Polarizer filter for two of my Pentax lenses and always a couple of sets of backup batteries. In a separate case I carry two tripods, one very sturdy and one Joby GorilaPod for shooting Macro close to ground level.Feedback
Patience, patience and more patience. If I had only taken my first shot and not waited and watched as she attempted to get his attention, I never would have experience and captured this moment. I have found that often with nature if one waits, something even more beautiful will occur.