In the Field

American Robin on Rock. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 14, 2005.

The return of the American Robin to the north has come to be a harbinger of spring, and many people await the arrival of these cheerful singers with great anticipation. As a photographer though, it's easy to overlook what's right under our nose while searching out the more exotic or charismatic species.

It wasn't the Robin alone that motivated me to capture this image. I actually was drawn primarily by the background - the blurred orange/yellow hues are actually Arrow-leaved Balsamroot flowers that naturally bloom every May in our area. I knew by using a large aperture I could throw the flowers out of focus and produce a visually pleasing background. So, I set up my camera and just waited for an avian arrival! I got lucky, and the first bird to show up was this Robin, which just happened to match the background so well. Photeus (that rascally ancient pagan Greek god of digital photography) smiled on me this day!

Behind the Camera

American Robin on Rock. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 14, 2005.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) format; ISO 100.

Nikon D2X with Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 380 mm (570 mm equivalent with digital conversion factor) supported on Gitzo 1348 carbon fibre tripod with Wimberley head. VR turned to "On" and in "Normal" mode.

1/40s @ f4; no compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

American Robin on Rock. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 14, 2005.

Details to follow.

Conservation

American Robin on Rock. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. May 14, 2005.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Wildsight.

Information to follow.