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clippercarrillo — Return of a Friend

Published: 2013-06-27 13:54:45 +0000 UTC; Views: 3952; Favourites: 307; Downloads: 0
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Description A friend in need is a friend indeed, and this thrasher remembers the sprinkler I turned on for him last year during the drought. Or so I would like to believe, for there is no other way to explain his sudden appearance this morning at dawn. Yesterday was hot here in Kansas, and today promises no rain, so I will put out water for this bird who can not be attracted by seed. This was one of those lucky shots where I had set up before dawn, and a non-target bird lit in front of my lens. Hence the good focus which reveals my own reflection (or that of the lens) in the extreme magnification of his eye, although that is less important to me than the frosting of light on the feathers of one of his sides. Take note of his very specific nails and, of course, the shape of his beak. Taken from 10' feet away with 600mm; he did not know I was there, in just enogh light for the shot. Brown thrasher, Western (Toxastoma rufum).
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Comments: 62

MimiManderly [2013-06-27 16:36:04 +0000 UTC]

Wow! High-def birdie!

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clippercarrillo In reply to MimiManderly [2013-06-27 18:14:43 +0000 UTC]

Thanks, Mimi. Hope you don't leave DA!

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MimiManderly In reply to clippercarrillo [2013-06-27 18:53:55 +0000 UTC]

In a sense, I left long ago. I don't post here anymore, but I do look at other's artwork.

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momentspause [2013-06-27 15:06:00 +0000 UTC]

How you treat these little ones speaks volumes about you, Rene. Salud.

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clippercarrillo In reply to momentspause [2013-06-27 15:28:10 +0000 UTC]

Thanks, M. I think I am trying to atone for my less compassionate years, but I do get pleasure by simply sharing a glimpse of beauty as well, so what you see is selfishness.

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pearwood [2013-06-27 14:22:55 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful catch, Rene.

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clippercarrillo In reply to pearwood [2013-06-27 15:44:20 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much, Steven. This was indeed one lucky exposure, so I put some effort into the post-processing, being influenced so much by studying the prints of Audubon when I was a child. Owned his book once, but gave it away long ago, and learned to regret it as I got more and more into this. Yesterday I saw it back in print at a little bookstore for $80.00 or so. What a bargain. I'll return to the shop pretty quick with the cash and snap it right up. My treatment of the brown of this thrashers primaries is very Audubon-esque, which is my way of saying, "Yeah, this is a print."

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pearwood In reply to clippercarrillo [2013-06-27 15:59:06 +0000 UTC]

A bit deeper than natural, perhaps?

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clippercarrillo In reply to pearwood [2013-06-27 18:05:31 +0000 UTC]

"Natural" is probably a meaningless word in the case of bird feathers in low light, filtered by green leaves at any certain day of the year, added to which the sensor is not adequate to the lens, so I sort of "smeared" the colors w/ middle contrast & saturation and noise reduction, with an eye to how I "thought" it looked, or you might say, "how I want it for you," but in any event, I just got that Audubon book, and low and behold, on the cover is a great egret where he had treated white pretty much as I did in my great egret, titled, "Huntress", by toning it slightly grey in order to get past the "wedding-dress effect". I'm sure that studying his prints now will have a great effect on my photography, revealed over time.

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pearwood In reply to clippercarrillo [2013-06-27 18:44:45 +0000 UTC]

I will certainly never claim that my black and white photographs look "natural".  I can, on the other hand, try to make them look "right" (for carefully chosen values of "right"). 

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clippercarrillo In reply to pearwood [2013-06-27 20:22:31 +0000 UTC]

I'll bet you use tons of artist's discretion on many levels. With birds, there is this prejudice towards the "real", which I have trouble with.

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