Friday, April 5, 2013

Deadwood

1/250 sec. f/11 ISO 200

This is my first and only photo of a Pileated Woodpecker. Ever. Shot with a 500mm lens. That gives you an idea of just how far away it was. I knew a nice close up of the woodpecker was going to be impossible and I could have easily walked away saying there was no shot. Instead, I took a moment to look at the surroundings and see if I could still make a pleasing photo. Sometimes we get so intent on a singular subject that we give up if we can't get the shot we originally wanted. It often pays to slow down and work with what you have available. Not that this photo would win any Nat Geo contests, but at least I didn't walk away empty-handed.


23 comments:

Andy said...

I would have thought a nature photographer like yourself would have had at least a dozen photos of the elusive Pileated Woodpecker. I'm in my sixties and have only seen three in my entire life.

Faye said...

Exactly! It's not about perfection but capturing the unexpected in the moment. Now you have proof that you've spotted this elusive guy. And who knows? Maybe by the time you're Andy's age you'll see him two more times! :-)

Anonymous said...

Many years ago, before my camera toting days, my very first sighting of these magnificent birds was unbelievable. I walked into my living room to see one perched on a window sill (on the outside of course). My heart went straight into my throat, I just couldn't believe it. He was huge and brilliant. Why I didn't go run to find a camera is beyond me.

Tombstone Livestock said...

Would be a shame to walk away totally empty handed, just the contrast of the sky and the deadwood is interesting, but you got your subject in there too.

Giga said...

On ma takie piekne kolory, że nawet jak daleko jest, to i tak jest śliczny. Pozdrawiam.
He has such beautiful colors, even how far it is, it still is pretty. Yours.

Janis said...

I agree with you Brian...what a great capture...not everything has to be close up!

Anonymous said...

looks like a great shot to me! =)

Gail Dixon said...

I must applaud you for getting this! I know how extremely difficult these guys are to capture. I hear them all the time and actually saw one flying the other day. Of course he landed deep into the thick of the trees, so no shot for me. One day... Love how you salvaged the shot and didn't give up.

Gail Dixon said...

Oh! Meant to say, with the corrected feed, you are now showing up in Feedly. Yay!

TexWisGirl said...

makes for a great shot! the tree fingers coming upwards and his bright red, black and white against the blue is awesome!

these dang laughing birds just taunt me here, too. :)

TexWisGirl said...

(and i miss that series...'deadwood'.) :)

Smalltown RN said...

That a great shot of the pileated...I am fortunate to see them relatively frequently they are a magnificent. Thank you for sharing! Being an amateur birder I know I will be back to check out your blog to see what else you have captured. Hope you check out my bird blog http://theamateurbirder.blogspot.ca/

Happy Weekend to you!

Ida said...

So glad you didn't walk away empty handed. That has to be some large woodpecker. I've never seen one.
I love the way the bright red shows up against those dead branches and the blue sky.

We have a small woodpecker who shows up every year to peck a telephone pole near our house. He was back this week. Alas I don't have a zoom lens good enough to take a photo of it.

Debbie said...

it's a great shot, a memorable moment!! love the title!!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Nice shot Brian, and good advice. I sometimes get so fixated on what I want to snap that I overlook the rest of the scene.

Beth said...

Great shot Brian!

James said...

I'm glad you took the shot. I like seeing woodpeckers but I almost never see them.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

Well, I think that you did very well considering! We have quite a few of these Pileated Woodpeckers that live in our woods all year long. Love the sound of their voices...sounds a bit like a jungle creature yelling~

TheChieftess said...

Wow!!! Nice lens!!! I heard a woodpecker today...but didn't see it! This is a wonderful capture Brian!!!

Kerri Farley said...

I LOVE it Brian! So glad you didn't walk away without it!

TheChieftess said...

Forgot to mention that I get your feed regularly too...I'm on blogger and use their blog reader...

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

Great shot, and your advice is "dead on",as always!

Andee said...

Oh this picture of the Pileated Woodpecker is amazing! What an amazing looking bird. So cool! You definately made this shot work.