I may have mentioned this before, but i never paid much attention to wild birds until i got my first real camera. They are always interesting to some degree, but there are only so many photos you can take of birds sitting in trees, or flying or eating seeds.
This is why i love when it snows.
Not only does it provide a cool backdrop. but the birds access to food becomes limited (or they believe it will be limited anyway), and whether or not they are truly starving, they tend to get a little more aggressive about the food... which makes for some very cool photos. Plus, when you put out seed on a snowy day, you get a greater variety of birds willing to eat the seed.
Yes, i know, it sounds cruel, but we've got a mutually beneficial relationship here.... they get fresh seed thrown out on top of the snow that otherwise would not have been there and i get some cool photos.
Here was my favorite from today... the male house finches were out in droves. I usually see the females, but the males can be a bit more illusive.
This is why i love when it snows.
Not only does it provide a cool backdrop. but the birds access to food becomes limited (or they believe it will be limited anyway), and whether or not they are truly starving, they tend to get a little more aggressive about the food... which makes for some very cool photos. Plus, when you put out seed on a snowy day, you get a greater variety of birds willing to eat the seed.
Yes, i know, it sounds cruel, but we've got a mutually beneficial relationship here.... they get fresh seed thrown out on top of the snow that otherwise would not have been there and i get some cool photos.
Here was my favorite from today... the male house finches were out in droves. I usually see the females, but the males can be a bit more illusive.
Focal Length 300mm; f/5.6, exp.1/2000, ISO 1000.
Adjustments in LR: crop, sharpen, luminosity and clarity.
If you are curious, the sparrow won and forced the male house finch (red head) to fly away.
Here is another... again, sitting birds can get boring, but these Mourning Doves VERY RARELY come this close to the deck. They always seem to be hanging around when the seed is out, but they steer clear, only picking up stray seeds on the ground, until it snows.
Adjustments in LR: crop, sharpen, luminosity and clarity.
If you are curious, the sparrow won and forced the male house finch (red head) to fly away.
Here is another... again, sitting birds can get boring, but these Mourning Doves VERY RARELY come this close to the deck. They always seem to be hanging around when the seed is out, but they steer clear, only picking up stray seeds on the ground, until it snows.
Focal Length 300mm; f/5.6, exp.1/1250, ISO 1000.
Adjustments in LR: crop, sharpen, luminosity and clarity.
Kinda looks like he knows what you are thinking, huh?
Weird.
Adjustments in LR: crop, sharpen, luminosity and clarity.
Kinda looks like he knows what you are thinking, huh?
Weird.