Being both a birdwatcher and a nature photographer, one that admittedly loves to photograph birds above all else mind you, I can attest to the joy of capturing a really sharp, clear, and interesting photo of one of our avian friends.
I can also vouch for what goes into getting a superb bird photo, including the sometimes uncomfortable situations photographers have to overcome to get such an image.
A couple of days ago at Farmington Bay, I was reminded of what we bird photographers will oftentimes do to come home with an interesting photograph of a bird.
As I was headed southward to check on my “gull on a pole” location mentioned in a previous blog post, I came across a fellow bird photographer laying down in the snow trying to photograph a solitary killdeer standing just a few short yards in front of his camera.
What an interesting perspective he must be getting I thought, but also what a wet, snowy position he had to put himself in to get such a perspective.
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Now I don’t mind telling you the bird photographer in me was impressed but also getting a bit envious of him.
The potential images from such a situation just wouldn’t leave me alone, nagging me as I drove down the bumpy gravel road to my chosen destination.
Well, as luck would have it when I drove back by a short while later, the photographer was gone but the killdeer was still there.
I looked at my current attire, jeans and a flannel shirt, and wished I had dressed better for the occasion as I successfully talked myself into trying to get a few images from this most interesting of situations.
I’m not sure why circumstances like this seem to happen only during winter when it is wet and cold but it does.
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All of the images for this particular blog post are from my efforts to photograph that particular killdeer from a very low profile.
It’s not the first time I have come across a photographer laying down in the snow for a bird photo and it’s certainly not the first or the last time I will do it if and when another situation like this presents itself.
I know today’s blog post wasn’t anything spectacular or groundbreaking in the world of birdwatching I do admit.
But it does show to some degree what some of us bird photographers will do, myself definitely included in that group, to get an interesting photo of a bird.
Whether or not it was worth it for me to drive home soaking wet from all of this, you’ll have to decide for yourself by how these images turned out despite the horrible lighting conditions from the prevailing low clouds.
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And as one more mention while we’re on the topic of bird photography, don’t forget to check out the upcoming outdoor photography classes being held at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge visitors center starting in January.
I hope to see you there and don’t forget to head on over to our subscribe page and sign up for email notifications for future blog posts about our bird and nature photography excursions.
We also suggest taking a peek at our small but growing YouTube channel where we post regular updates about the birdwatching conditions on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route as well as the occasional short nature clips when we can capture them with our camera.
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