NOTE: This article was first published over at johncaz.net (https://goo.gl/8xYYZT) on the 6th May 2014
When I first started shooting birds, I would often do the mistake of bypassing the common little birds of my area – a big mistake. No matter where you live in the world, its good practice to shoot anything that comes your way. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Sparrow or a Seagull, common birds can give you an award winning image if you give them the chance.
For example on Limnos Island in Greece, we have an abundance of Crested Larks, they’re everywhere. I used to avoid them like the plague, but in reality they make nice subjects and because they are so plentiful, they give me a lot more chances at better postures and better lighting conditions. And especially for shooters on a budget, like myself, having in my possession only a manual focus telephoto lens, meant that I would have to live with the fact that I would lose a lot of opportunities due to not having AF. I always had a manual focus 500mm lens, so the Larks being so plentiful gave me more chances at some “action” shots! What I mean by “action” is anything that is not a static portrait.
Take the image at the top of the page, it’s a close up of a Lark singing, it’s not static! In reality, any bird image with their beak open makes for an interesting image. And it doesn't matter for what reason it's open, they could be singing, yawning, swallowing or regurgitating their food, either way we are attracted to the non-static nature of such images so be patient and don’t rush shooting off frames on static portraits.
Observe and enjoy their presence and if they hang around long enough you will be rewarded with some interesting behavior. And because Larks are so plentiful where I live, I also got a chance at a head-on fly shot (last image below) taken with a manual focus 500mm lens. So don’t pass-on what nature gives you, whether Sparrow or Seagull, or something else, appreciate it and give it some Love!
If you are interested in a wallpaper or purchasing a print of the Crested Lark feel free to contact me deoxygen(at)yahoo(dot)com
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