White-crowned Sparrows And Photographic Tradeoffs
When I have to choose between shutter speed and depth of field I usually lean towards faster SS’s. Sometimes it pays dividends and sometimes it doesn’t.
Category: White-crowned Sparrows
In Celebration Of Common Species – White-crowned Sparrow
I have a strong distaste for most forms of elitism but when it comes to birds I have to be careful not to let a bit of snobbishness creep in.
A Variety Of Birds In The Snow
After being “grounded” by the recent huge snowstorm for a couple of days I was finally able to go out shooting yesterday morning.
White-crowned Sparrows – Juvenile and Adult (some in the snow)
White-crowned Sparrows are often described as “elegant”, especially as adults and I would have to agree.
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow Already Framed
White-crowned Sparrow Immatures And Adults – Skewed Populations?
Over the years I’ve noticed something perplexing about the apparent relative numbers of immature and adult White-crowned Sparrows.
WC Sparrow In Flight (a shot I’d have missed without the 7D Mark II)
Getting a sharp image of any passerine in flight is not an easy task, especially when they’re coming toward you. I’m convinced I’d have missed this shot if I’d still been shooting with my Canon 7D.
(I’ve also included a whimsical shot of the same species for “dessert”).
White-crowned Sparrow On Wild Rose
There’s a wild rose near a canal at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area that makes a nice perch for songbirds when you can find them there.
White-crowned Sparrow Attempting To Feed In The Wind
I photographed this adult White-crowned Sparrow near a campground at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge last month as it tried to feed on berries in a stiff breeze.
Frost-eating White-crowned Sparrow
This adult White-crowned Sparrow was using the frost-covered twigs almost like its own private store of unflavored popsicles.
A Tribute To The “Common Species”
Many bird photographers tend to largely ignore the most common species in their areas and I’m as guilty of that as anyone.
There seems to be a sort of “supply and demand” philosophy – the more common they are the less appealing they are as subjects. That’s too bad for at least a couple of reasons – familiar birds can be just as interesting and beautiful as many of the others and what’s “common” where we live and/or shoot is very often uncommon or even nonexistent for folks in other areas. This post is meant to make up to some degree for my own poor judgment at times in choosing subjects.
Several Sparrow Species In Frost And Snow
In my area most sparrow species aren’t easy to approach or catch out in the open for most of the year but when it’s very cold and they decide it’s time to begin their communal morning feeding routine they become much braver souls. Earlier this week I photographed three species of sparrows as they harvested seeds from their frost-covered parent plants.
A White-crowned Sparrow And The Effect Of Depth Of Field
Two days ago I found this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow sunning itself in a wild rose-bush at Farmington Bay. It was a cold morning (you can see frost on the perch behind the bird) and due to the frigid temperature the sparrow wasn’t flitting around much so I did a little experimentation with depth of field.
White-crowned Sparrows – Sunflower Gluttony And Crossed Bills
A local pumpkin farmer (Pack Farms) plants sunflowers along the periphery of his pumpkin field and each fall they provide a messy bounty for a variety of birds. Most species seem to be tidy eaters but the juvenile White-crowned Sparrows are an exception.
The orange in the background of these shots is – you guessed it – pumpkins.
Strong Graphic Lines – A Matter Of Taste
I’ve been a fan of strong graphic lines in my images ever since my friend Richard Ditch introduced me to their potential a few years ago. The source of those lines may be natural or unnatural but since my subjects are mostly birds and many of them perch on fences, my graphic lines are often provided by fence wires. In some ways I’d prefer natural elements in my images but wires can also be compositionally and visually interesting
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In Celebration Of Common Species – White-crowned Sparrow
I have a strong distaste for most forms of elitism but when it comes to birds I have to be careful not to let a bit of snobbishness creep in.
A Variety Of Birds In The Snow
After being “grounded” by the recent huge snowstorm for a couple of days I was finally able to go out shooting yesterday morning.
White-crowned Sparrows – Juvenile and Adult (some in the snow)
White-crowned Sparrows are often described as “elegant”, especially as adults and I would have to agree.
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow Already Framed
White-crowned Sparrow Immatures And Adults – Skewed Populations?
Over the years I’ve noticed something perplexing about the apparent relative numbers of immature and adult White-crowned Sparrows.
WC Sparrow In Flight (a shot I’d have missed without the 7D Mark II)
Getting a sharp image of any passerine in flight is not an easy task, especially when they’re coming toward you. I’m convinced I’d have missed this shot if I’d still been shooting with my Canon 7D.
(I’ve also included a whimsical shot of the same species for “dessert”).
White-crowned Sparrow On Wild Rose
There’s a wild rose near a canal at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area that makes a nice perch for songbirds when you can find them there.
White-crowned Sparrow Attempting To Feed In The Wind
I photographed this adult White-crowned Sparrow near a campground at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge last month as it tried to feed on berries in a stiff breeze.
Frost-eating White-crowned Sparrow
This adult White-crowned Sparrow was using the frost-covered twigs almost like its own private store of unflavored popsicles.
A Tribute To The “Common Species”
Many bird photographers tend to largely ignore the most common species in their areas and I’m as guilty of that as anyone.
There seems to be a sort of “supply and demand” philosophy – the more common they are the less appealing they are as subjects. That’s too bad for at least a couple of reasons – familiar birds can be just as interesting and beautiful as many of the others and what’s “common” where we live and/or shoot is very often uncommon or even nonexistent for folks in other areas. This post is meant to make up to some degree for my own poor judgment at times in choosing subjects.
Several Sparrow Species In Frost And Snow
In my area most sparrow species aren’t easy to approach or catch out in the open for most of the year but when it’s very cold and they decide it’s time to begin their communal morning feeding routine they become much braver souls. Earlier this week I photographed three species of sparrows as they harvested seeds from their frost-covered parent plants.
A White-crowned Sparrow And The Effect Of Depth Of Field
Two days ago I found this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow sunning itself in a wild rose-bush at Farmington Bay. It was a cold morning (you can see frost on the perch behind the bird) and due to the frigid temperature the sparrow wasn’t flitting around much so I did a little experimentation with depth of field.
White-crowned Sparrows – Sunflower Gluttony And Crossed Bills
A local pumpkin farmer (Pack Farms) plants sunflowers along the periphery of his pumpkin field and each fall they provide a messy bounty for a variety of birds. Most species seem to be tidy eaters but the juvenile White-crowned Sparrows are an exception.
The orange in the background of these shots is – you guessed it – pumpkins.
Strong Graphic Lines – A Matter Of Taste
I’ve been a fan of strong graphic lines in my images ever since my friend Richard Ditch introduced me to their potential a few years ago. The source of those lines may be natural or unnatural but since my subjects are mostly birds and many of them perch on fences, my graphic lines are often provided by fence wires. In some ways I’d prefer natural elements in my images but wires can also be compositionally and visually interesting