Judging from the number of photos I have posted recently, you might think that I haven’t been out birding locally for a while. Fortunately, that’s not true. I’ve actually been out birding several times and enjoyed it as much as I ever have. The problem is that once I’ve gotten home and looked at the pictures on the computer I don’t think they capture the feelings I actually had while out birding.
It’s fun posting pictures of birds I’ve seen for the very first time. Those pictures always look “special” to me. The real test, though, is trying to make pictures you have posted many times look “special,” to make them capture the excitement you still feel when actually out birding. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to catch birds doing unusual thing, or catch them in particularly dramatic moments. Those are the “one-of-a-kind” shots that you can actually sell. If you get four of those shots in a year you could probably consider yourself a “professional photographer.” Even if you’re a professional, though, you’re not going to be able to fill up a blog page every day.
For me, the alternative is to use “Photoshopping” to try to make pictures look striking. I used to do that much more often than I have been lately because I’m lazy and it’s time-consuming and often when you return to a shot later you decide you really don’t like the effect. But, I’m desperate enough to give it a try for today at least.
No matter how many times a flock of Canada Geese flies over my head I’m still awed by the sound of their beating wings,
and even though my hard drive is full of Great Blue Heron shots, I can’t resist trying once again to capture the elegance of these birds,
Tai Chi masters of the ponds they inhabit.