Peanuts In My Pocket

I took a short break from writing to focus on a few other pursuits—one of them being photography. I recently purchased a new camera and lens, and I needed time to get familiar with the equipment. Several times a week, I take it out for birding and to practice the new skills required to capture a good photo.

I find the experience both fun and incredibly frustrating. For one, I’m not yet proficient at birding, so unless a bird is perched on a fence or resting in a pond, spotting them can be quite a challenge. On top of that, the new camera is far more advanced than anything I’ve ever used before. It’s so sophisticated that I’m learning it one feature at a time—almost like starting from scratch.

There are a couple of photography adages I follow. One is: always look down. I often discover interesting subjects on the ground during my walks—sometimes found objects, other times small animals or reptiles—but most often, I come across fascinating abstract patterns. Since I started birding, I’ve added another rule: always scan the tops of objects, like trees, poles, and fences. This morning, I followed that advice as I stepped out to feed the crows and spotted a beautiful hummingbird sitting on a wire.

Which brings me to my most important rule: always carry a camera. Unfortunately, I didn’t have one with me this morning, so I missed the chance to capture a stunning Anna’s Hummingbird.

Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I visited a local park during the golden hour to feed the ducks. I brought my camera along. The birds are usually mallards and coots, but I wanted to be ready—just in case. I was rewarded with a flyover from a great blue heron, which I managed to capture. I also snapped a candid shot of a man sitting in the park that I liked enough to share on Instagram.

Over the weekend, I captured photos of a turkey vulture and a green heron using the same approach. I shot several other birds as well—those wading in the pond were much easier targets. The quality of my photos is starting to improve, which encourages me to keep at it. Practice definitely helps, and so does advice from more experienced photographers.