Grilling steaks on the BBQ. Quenching a thirst with my favorite brew. Photographing a Blackburnian Warbler. SIMULTANEOUSLY!:eek: Yep, this is what I had to go through during my just finished week-long vacation to the cottage. A pair of Blackburnians seem to have built a nest in a very nearby location and kept circling the cottage. Some of the evergreens they preferred to perch on are just a few feet away from the deck where said cooking and quenching took place. What more could one ask for! The following image, however, was taken in the morning when the light direction was much better.
Canon 40D + 100-400L @400mm, 1/320s., f/7.1, ISO 400, no EC, handheld.
Sounds like a tough life at the cottage, Daniel. The bird is nicely done - sharp, nice pose, and good exposure. My eye wants to go to the reddish pine needles (I think) above the bird's head - if those were only green like the balsam needles ... Was the bird leaning or could this use some CW rotation? Overall, well done.
The red needles were the second thing I looked at after the great eye. If they could be toned down or removed it would be a strong image. Still, a great capture.
Perhaps I'm just too fixated on birds and eyes, but I find the subject here so powerful that I am not distracted by the BG. Well done Daniel. This is an excellent image that I think shows off the bird so well. I really like the sun lighting up the eye.
Beautiful. You gotta love cottage life.....the only problem is, you have to come home. :) I like the pose, light and subject, but find the BG overpowering.
Wow if all photography could be that easy. I think I will have to try a little cottage life too < smile > Beautiful image and I feel like I could reach out and touch this little beauty. Love it as posted and the BG is a very lovely added touch for me. Fine work Daniel.
Hey, Daniel I fully understand the difficulty in making this image because some weeks ago I suffered a similar situation like the one you describe here (cold beer, a confortable chair, five friends under sun umbrellas and a shrike posing for us all a long time).:D:D:D
Nature photography is, sometimes, easy but always is very fun:)
Great work on the warbler... considering the circunstances;)