Photographing Birds at Sunset
Waiting for the Light….
I’ve been thinking ‘out of the box’ with my photography recently. I have been guilty of obsessing with detail and sharpness and often this has been to the detrement of looking at the subject matter in a new and interesting light. I’ve never been a fan of over editing when it comes to photography, it can be clever and it does have its place in art and photography but for me when I photograph a subject I want to preserve the image in the manner that I saw it because I want to capture that moment in time and keep it as a reminder for my own personal recolection.
Natural light is a marvellous thing, it can be as incredible as it can be infuriating but I do believe more attention should be paid to the light that surrounds us. If we think about it most of us can identify a favourite time of day and subconsciously the light which plays a part in creating that image. For me I often think of days gone by when I used to fish, early mornings when the mist began to lift through to the late evening as I packed my gear away and walked home as the sun set behind me.
Last week I was walking along the edge of some fields close to my home, it’s a perfect location to spot barn owls and other birds of prey who hovver above searching out mice and voles in the fading light. I was struck by the colour of the sky, layers of colour painted a perfect backdrop for the hunters above. I took a series of shots and despite the long lens I refrained from zooming in on the bird. For me the sky told the story rather than the bird and I shall remember the sky longer than the bird itself….
Late evening over Lincolnshire
Miles,
excellent !
I imagine the real bonus here is that this new camera can actually handle the light and you ‘get what you actually see’
I’ve tried a few things that look great to the naked eye but simply don’t transfer to the finished photograph.
The potential for orange sun rises and mist rising from rivers and lakes must be fantastic - I can see them now.
Have a look at some Chris Yates books, he’s no slouch with a camera (in fact he does/did it professionally)
Cheers
Rod
June 29, 2009 @ 8:11 am
Test comment to try new wider comment box - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rod
June 29, 2009 @ 8:18 am
Miles,
Gorgeous photo, simply beautiful!
Rod,
Are you sure you want to encourage some of us (the girls) to write longer sentences? To say more? To have more space to ramble?
:-)
June 29, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
Miles,
You’ve almost captured a mother of pearl sky there…. very unusual and very beautiful. Reminds me of a silk obi I saw a woman wearing with just a small bird in flight on the back, no fancy embellishments but stylish, sophistication in its simplicity. I love it.
Cid
June 29, 2009 @ 5:25 pm
Melissa,
Thanks, I bet you get some stunning skies in your part of the world.
Miles
June 29, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Cid,
Simplicity does usually win doesn’t it? It’s knowing when to stop.
Miles
June 29, 2009 @ 5:35 pm