#FrameItFriday (week 20, season 2)
#FrameItFriday (week 20, season 2)
All week long (ok, since Tuesday) I've been brewing up what I will say here this week. I had a really good couple of sentences worming their way inside my head but I've forgotten them. I did not forget what I wanted to write about though (and collectively you all sigh and say "oh that's splendid" lol)
Today I bring you a collage (which, by the way took me at least 10 minutes to figure out how to do). So let's see, obviously I'd like to begin with the tallest photo in the collage. It's a photo of my lens whom I've named Little Lulu. I've been taking Lulu out alot with me over the past few weeks to take bird photos and get some much needed exercise (for me and for her). You see Lulu weighs a good 4.3 lbs....I know right? Lulu is a Tamron 150-600mm lens. Once she's attached to my camera well, she tips the scales for sure and is a pain in the butt to slug around. I rarely shoot her hand held, I have her on a monopod or a tripod.
Ok, so getting to the point of the story. Lots of birds are migrating or have just finished migrating up to and to places further north of where I'm at. Most of those birds come through places like Long Point, Rondeau, Point Pelee etc. Lots of people make it an annual event attending and watching and photographing the migration and count the various species they see. I don't actually know alot about birding, I like taking photos of them and trying to guess what kind they are or I have smart birding friends that help me identify them.
I have to say, it's pretty damn tricky taking photos of those little flighty creatures especially with Little Lulu, especially when you're in a huge forest, walking a trail. It's not like they show up in front of you, stop, pose until you get a good shot and fly off....wouldn't that be nice. They could care less about us, they're too busy hooking up, foraging for food, building a nest, caring for their young. They could care less about getting posted on Facebook or Instagram.
So in the other three photos above you will see the true side to wildlife photography....1,000 of images and a very few good ones (and I mean a few, at least for me anyhow). I really wish the one trying to catch the bug had turned out. Most of the time I get the feet in frame shot or the bird will not turn around and look at me. It takes alot of patience, timing and a few flukes. Bird photography is like being the gunner on a fighter plane, you're firing off shots as the enemy attacks like a crazy person except nobody dies, just a few 100 images.
I did meet alot of really nice people through the whole birding experience. I met a Biologist from Cranbrook who was birding with his parents. He ID'd a bird I'd taken a photo of but now for the life of me cannot remember the name of that bird (I know, same old tired excuse). I met a trio of ladies from London, Ontario out taking photos of birds and very kindly shared some of their Milk Duds with me along with a few laughs. Finally, and quite unexpectedly I was talking with a group of photographers down at the Grindstone, (they of the HUGE camouflaged lens club). One man in particular, named Vincent pulls out his cell phone and shows me a shot he took a few weeks back. It was "the shot", the shot that goes viral, I'd seen it online. I looked up at him and said "YOU took this shot?" He nodded his head and said "I got lucky". I shook his hand and said something like "you're the man Vincent! Way to go!"
I learned a lot from people this past week, I picked up some new skills to try out and perfect, I took a shit ton of out of focus shots with a few decent ones in between and I made some cool new friends. Next time you see a shot of a bird with it's beak open in song, or it's head cocked cutely to the side or it taking flight from where it's perched know this.... it probably took a few hundred shots to get that one shot. Just sayin'.
Have a safe and enjoyable long weekend!
Peace, love and kumbaya.
Heather
P.S.-I still have a few more bird pics to post so it ain't over yet but I will try and find something else to shoot soon unless you've got any suggestions.
P.P.S-All of the images I post are available for purchase. For a small fee you can purchase a digital image to print out any way you like! Easy-peasy. Cheers!
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