I continue to be amazed at the number of people who visit here and read "A Green Heron Colony." After "A Game Changing Bird Photography Camera," a piece about the then-new Canon EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera, it's my most-read post. I've written a lot about other species of birds, like the Osprey and Killdeer, … Continue reading Privileged Time With Some Area Birds
Category: Wildlife photography
Going, Knowing, and Seeing
Let's begin with a photo of a Gray Catbird. I made the mistake of writing in an earlier blog that these birds are hard to find out in the open. Not true. This adult was doing what so many do this time of year: it was gathering food to feed its young. But it was … Continue reading Going, Knowing, and Seeing
Photography and Art
This isn't an essay on photography and art (by any stretch), nevertheless I touch on both here and hope you find what follows interesting and helpful. Before we get underway, here's another female bird we can add to the "pantheon." This is a female Wood Duck—a perching duck, as you can see. Here, she was … Continue reading Photography and Art
More Photo-Worthy Moments
You know it's winter when you see a bird sighting report of 4 Greater White-fronted Geese spending time in a corn stubble field and a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk soaring nearby or one of a Golden Eagle drifting by overhead accompanied by a couple of Common Ravens. These may have been Pennsylvania and Massachusetts reports … Continue reading More Photo-Worthy Moments
A Few Photo-Worthy Moments
Many readers enjoyed the American Black Duck photo in the last blog, "Be There," and several asked me about the EXIF or image file data. Here's the photo once again. And here's the data: Canon EOS R5 EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x III lens 700mm f/8 1/2000s 1600 ISO. Here, also, are some of … Continue reading A Few Photo-Worthy Moments
Be There
I mentioned "f/8 and be there" at the end of "A Special Moment." A reader who'd never heard of it before sent me this: "I should put that on a T-shirt and wear it on every outing. Great advice!" I think it is great advice. F/8 has to do with photo gear and technique. Being … Continue reading Be There
Consider The Background
We brought up "best quality photos" in the last blog. I noted there that many had blurred backgrounds and that those backgrounds may have accounted for the higher ratings. I provided Josh Houck's Facebook photo (below) as an example. Folks on Facebook raved about it and responded to it. I responded in this way: "All … Continue reading Consider The Background
Great Blue to Best Quality
I wrapped up "A Close Encounter," a blog I published midday on 10/16, with these words: "Any day now, the [young Green Heron] will make it’s first trip, its maiden voyage, from the breeding grounds where it was born to its wintering grounds. It’ll probably leave during the night. I’ll revisit the lakeshore a few … Continue reading Great Blue to Best Quality
Capturing Moments
I ended my last blog, "Old Friends," with the following quote: "And when confronted by a seemingly alien place, say a desert or mountain tundra, the birds carry me from confusion to understanding." The idea that birds can carry us from confusion to understanding is an intriguing and powerful one. Human Activity Folks have asked … Continue reading Capturing Moments
A Few Good Bird Photography Tips
Hi, everyone. I haven't written anything in a while because my wife and I are selling/moving/house-hunting. The process is all-consuming, as many of you know. We're leaving southeastern Virginia and heading to central PA. We're heading for the hills. At some point, I'll have to change the name of the blog. I'm considering "Susquehanna River … Continue reading A Few Good Bird Photography Tips