Red Bully

At the ongoing Wild Songbirds Photo Workshop, the cardinal action was fast and furious. Many males and females darted back forth, posing for our cameras. The males engaged in some territorial displays, with the dominant ones banishing the others.

This guy, a beautiful specimen, was clearly in charge of his range. He comfortably sat on this tree trunk, feasting when and where he chose to.

We have seen so many different species and each behaves slightly differently. Some flit quickly from perch to perch, others are calmer and stay put for longer periods of time. When photographing wildlife of any sort, observation is vitally important. Give yourself time to be observant in order to capture the best images possible. It is tempting when arriving at a new location to start shooting indiscriminately right away. While that might net you some good shots, a better approach is to be calm and  to observe activity and behaviors. Once you have a better sense of the action, then begin shooting.

A good frame of mind to maintain is that even if you miss a shot, you can still enjoy the experience and can keep that pleasant memory throughout your lifetime.

TECHNICAL DATA

Shutter Speed 1/160 sec.  Aperture f/5.6.  ISO 800.  Lens: Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS with 1.4x extender for an effective focal length of 560mm.  Camera: Canon 5D Mark III.  Gitzo tripod with Really Right Stuff ballhead and Wimberley Sidekick.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “You can have no dominion greater or less than that over yourself.”  --Leonardo da Vinci