Photo of the Month
"Working from a blind is not my favorite method of photographing wildlife. It can be buggy, hot or cold, cramped, even claustrophobic and always has some limitation with viewing angles. However, spring is my favorite time of year to photograph wading birds and the photo blind provides just the cover needed to remain undetected around their nesting activities. Beautiful in breeding plumage, this Snowy Egret was caught just beginning the day’s busy feeding cycle of supplying partner and hungry chicks with food. It’s a full-time job bringing home the fish.
Local rookeries in springtime are filled with a wide variety of birds co-mingling among the trees. With the Snowy Egret, the male brings sticks, grasses etc. to the female, and the primary nest builder. It takes about four to five days to complete. One pair will produce three to eight eggs and both partners share the responsibilities of incubation and feeding.
I found this situation at the edge of a rookery with strong morning light on the pond but none on the bank. I tucked my blind inside the grasses and came back two days later to photograph. The lighting was ideal for showing off the details of this elegant white bird in the foreground while rendering the unlit background to almost black. I titled this Snowy Egret Portrait because the resulting photo resembles the portrait studio where you really can control the lighting."
Eric Horan
Photo tip-exposure: The photo blind provides an excellent way to remain hidden and close to the action. To allow the birds enough time to accept my blind, I left it in place a couple of days before I returned to photograph. When shooting white or black subjects, and especially scenes that have both, as mine did, you will benefit by inspecting the histogram on your camera to determine correct exposure. Remember, your camera’s light meter turns everything you point it at to neutral gray. When it sees primarily white, it will underexpose and when it sees a dominance of black, it will overexpose. You can make a test exposure in each new lighting condition and inspect the histogram. Look for spikes at either end, and adjust your exposure before filling your memory cards with images that are too light and too dark.
Learn more about the lowcountry outdoors by taking a Master Naturalist class with the Lowcountry Institute and Clemson Extension. Contact: http://www.lowcountryinstitute.org. See more of Eric Horan’s work @ http://www.southernlight.biz/gallery
For more information visit Eric Horan's Website
southernlight.biz or call 843-524-3037