Saturday, December 14, 2013

NaturalLlowLight In Bird Photography

This morning I am responding to Donna's personal photo challenge titled, " Let there be light" and I am linking to Donna's blog at : a personal photo challenge blogspot.ca

I am usually at my window early in the morning that faces our bird feeding area watching for the early arrivals at the feeders.  I await with my camera in my hand. I am usually too early to take pictures as the light is not yet full

and my camera often flashes me a " low light" message when I try to get a photo.  Sometimes however my camera, a Nikon D 3100 responds and snaps a photo.  I have been intrigued with some of the results of my low light  natural light early morning photos.  It seems that the lighter or more colourful areas of my subject are highlighted, such as in this first example of a Blue Jay where the white on its tail feathers. Often after having downloaded the photo I click on the 'auto level' feature on my photo software to bring out the low light  feature that has been naturally  highlighted. Please double click on the Blue jay photo to see the low light features more clearly.
Another low light photo this week was these two Goldfinch shown below.  The yellow at their throats was highlighted and I loved the contrast between the light and the dark in the photo. The background easily indicates  the low light of the early morning setting.
I am not sure how I captured the light in the next photo.  It is of a BlueJay with a yellow glow.  I love the yellow tones in the photo and I was surprised to see its glow as I downloaded the photo.. The light in this picture was fuller and was not of 'low light' as the stronger light can be seen on the fence in the background. To see the yellow glow surrounding the bird please doubleclick on the photo.

 One thing I like about' low light'pictures  is how the low light of the background appears to blend with the colours of the subject such as  in these remaining pictures of Goldfinch included below. 
Have a great day everyone.  Its almost light and  its time to check out my feeders to see what bird visitors we have today.  We  are averring about 10 different species each day recently and its a great way to get the day started.

12 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Pretty birds and great captures. The lighting is great! Happy weekend to you!

Donna said...

Love the light play surrounding the birds! Pretty colors!!
Happy weekend to you!
hughugs

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Thank you for sharing about low light shooting. The birds are sweet, I spend a lot of time watching our feeders too.

Donna said...

I'm so glad that you are enjoying your bird photography and decided to join in on the challenge this month. The low light situations are pushing the limits of your camera's ability, and sometimes you can get a "halo" effect from too much contrast and sharpening. Jpeg processing in the camera can sometimes do that. Early morning and late evening light are favorite times for photographers because you can get some pretty dramatic shots! You photos do a good job of capturing the sweet character of our feathered friends!

Linda H said...

Love seeing your feathered friends. They can sure cheer up a cold winter's day, can' they? Great shots!

Vee said...

What interesting results you achieved! I really enjoyed taking a closer look. Quite amazing!

Pamela Gordon said...

You got some great bird photos Ann. I really like the bluejay with the golden glow about it. Be safe in the storm tomorrow. I filled my feeders this afternoon so they birds won't go hungry.

Unknown said...

Many times I end up with a better shot than I was trying to get. Not skill for me just good luck. Beautiful shots here.

Lorrie said...

Love the sweet feathery subjects in your photos. The low light is dramatic.

Shane Pollard said...

Hello Ann
Your images of the birds feeding are all beautiful.
I particularly love the one with a bird on either side of the feeder - great play of light.
Shane

ClickNCamera said...

Great post...my favorite is the last shot. I love the way light is outlining the bird! Enjoy your day!

Unknown said...

The great thing about photographing garden birds is that it’s much easier than going out to a reserve or park, and therefore much simpler for beginners. When starting out with bird photography, you want to minimize expensive equipment until you know that you enjoy it and are capable enough to pursue it.