At the Birdlife Photography Digital Photography in the Bush event this weekend I’ll be sharing a presentation: From Muddles to Medals.
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 800
The joys and challenges of bird photography are engaging on every level. There’s the joy of being outside and communing with nature, and the challenge of working with technology to capture and process pleasing images – I love all of it.
This Welcome Swallow was flying among its friends at the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee; which is where I’m planning to be when this post is scheduled to be published. It’s always funny to photograph Welcome Swallows in flight as they are super agile flyers and change direction so randomly that it’s impossible to predict their movements. They feed entirely on flying insects and can often be seen in large flocks at Werribee when the gnats are plentiful. I’ve been at there when the gnats were in plague proportions, with swarms so dense that they caught the light and could be heard crashing against the vehicle even at low speeds.
If you’re attending the DPITB event please come and say hi.
Happy birding
Kim
UPDATES
Birdlife Australia Photography Group’s Digital Photography in the Bush is coming up in March – Details and registration information
The duck shooting season is due to start in March, the duck rescue team would welcome new volunteers – Coalition Against Duck Shooting
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Wonderful capture, Kim. I wanted to attend this event but was invited to a 70th birthday party in Laurieton, NSW. So Denise and I flew up on the 10th and came back yesterday (Monday). I would love to have seen you there – I’m glad I only found out you were at WTP this morning (Tuesday) as it would have made it even harder to say no to the WTP visit. I did manage a few photos of my own however – watch Flickr for my posts. Well done again with this wonderful shot – we all have our muddles, I certainly do, but with digital, who cares?
Hopefully we’ll catch up at the next Birdlife Photography conference, wherever it may be. Your Variegated Fairy-wren is brilliant!
Great shot Kim amazing really to have caught it with sings down.
Thanks Dona. I thought its wings looked remarkably long when they’re down.
“The joys and challenges of bird photography are engaging on every level. There’s the joy of being outside and communing with nature, and the challenge of working with technology to capture and process pleasing images – I love all of it.”
Often while listening to the pops, clicks and other complaints of my joints at the beginning of a photo outing, I look around and say to myself – “Wow! it wonderful to be in this place trying to capture some of the beauty of nature and I need to do this as often as possible while I am physically able to do so.”
Will your presentation be recorded?
I couldn’t agree more David. I’ve been to the WTP three times since Friday and I can’t stop smiling. The presentation wasn’t recorded. There were a few muddles associated with being in a new lecture theatre, in the morning the air-conditioning wasn’t working, in the afternoon the projection system decided to take a rest. There was another room nearby and everyone was very pleasant about the delay so all went well eventually. Do you think you’ll get to the next BLP conference?
I adore Welcome Swallows! What a gorgeous photo!
You’ve got some beaut Welcome Swallow images yourself!
Muddles? You?
I am sure that you consider that you have them – and equally sure I would be proud to claim your discarded muddles.
Have a wonderful time at the presentation.
Many, many muddles EC and I’m absolutely sure you wouldn’t want them
Great shot. Not easy to catch them on the wing, well done.
Thanks Togram, it’s such a funny process, it makes me smile just thinking about it