Another new bird, the eastern bluebird


 

When you see a bird you haven't seen before there is definitely a level of excitement; especially when the bird sits still for you. In the picture on the bottom, an eastern bluebird poses perfectly with the morning light bouncing off of it's breast, unfortunately I can't make the pictures any bigger here. I was able to get a half dozen pictures of this beautiful bird before it took flight in the photo at the top. When you are lucky enough to see a bird take flight, quite often you can't get the picture; but not because you weren't trying. Birds are lightning fast but to get the picture you have to be faster; the majority of the time you'll get one 'shot' at capturing the moment. The camera has to be set to a fast shutter speed as in the picture above (1/4000th of a second) or the picture will have blur. You will no doubt be disappointed as your eyes and your brain capture the perfect picture but the resulting photo isn't always a 'keeper.' In  my memory there are hundreds of pictures of the 'perfect shots' that I missed. There are several factors that come into play for success: being in the right spot at the right time, the activity of the subject (in flight vs sitting still), and being able to contain your level of excitement. This is why we go back though, to experience mother nature in all her glory, and attempt to capture stunning moments that leave an indelible mark in your memory. 

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