A more self-indulgent post than normal today.
My photo of a coyote grabbing a squirrel got a lot of traction. That photo took a lot of hard work. Getting up early over and over to track and observe the coyote family. Getting to know individual coyotes. Letting go of good shots for an opportunity at great shots. Heartbreak when multiple members of the family were shot in a disproportionate response to a preventable incident. Many days coming away empty-handed.
But. Once all that work came together, there wasn’t much to the shot. See the situation start to unfold. Adjust settings for the best chance at freezing action in the low light. A few steps to get in position. Lock on focus then spray and pray to get one useable shot. None of it easy, but it’s almost an out of body experience when it happens.
This shot on the other hand. Research to find a scenic spot with good potential wildlife sightings. An hour hike in the pre-dawn light. Considering the scene, finding a composition, and then gingerly scrambling down to get myself into position. Waiting for my nemesis bird to throw me a bone and perch in the composition. Repeating all over again when the first day didn’t work out.
This photo isn’t perfect. I wanted the jay silhouetted against the sky where it would really stand out. The light is verging on unusably harsh. I wish that one branch didn’t extend down into the scene. I should have dropped the shutter speed and closed the aperture to get the mountains more in focus. The location itself is kind of a cliché. Still, it probably represents who I am better than the epic action shot.
If you made it this far, thank you for coming to my TEDx talk. I know this photo won’t have the reach of the coyote shot. And that’s okay. I like a fun action shot from time to time. I hope you enjoy the slower photos too.