Bird's Eye View - NANPA SHOWCASE
What an honor it was to learn that 6 of my images had been chosen for NANPA Expressions to come out later this month, with 3 of those images (including this one) being chosen for the NANPA Showcase. Last year, 5 of my images were chosen, and one of my photography goals for 2011 was to try to beat that. It was truly a surprise when I learned that I had reached my goal. I was actually out in YNP photographing when I received the e-mail and felt like a fool when I realized that I was jumping up and down in front of total strangers.
Photographing this particular nest was probably my best birding/photography experience of 2011. A good friend of mine found this nest about an hour away, and we followed it from the time it was built until several days after the chicks were born. The nest was built in an Adopt-a-Pond. One day a car pulled off the road while we were photographing the nest from outside the chain-link fence, and the driver asked us whether we wanted to get inside. That was a no brainer. It turned out to be his pond, and he was generous enough to leave us a key for the duration.
Witnessing and photographing the actual hatching of both eggs, and then all the interaction between the adults and chicks was a blessing which I cannot even describe. The light and background in this particular pond was sublime. Having photographed several other SHC nests, I decided to focus on close ups for this one. Having another stab at this nest this year would be too good to hope for...but one never knows.
Canon 5D, Canon 400DO & 1.4TC @ 560mm
F5.6, 1/800sec, ISO 400, manual mode
Feisol tripod, Mongoose head
My sincere thanks to all of you on BPN who have helped me so much over the last 4 years with my photography. I really do believe that my photography and post processing skills have improved due to your critiques, as well as the many critiques I have read of other photographs. May 2012 be a great one for all, full of good health and plenty of amazing photo opportunities.
Marina Scarr
www.marinascarrphotographpy.com
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Originally Posted by Marina Scarr
