Having Fun with Wildlife

By Varina Patel,on January 16th,2012

I’m not really a wildlife photographer –but every now and then,I’ll pull out a long lens and see what I can do with it. The problem is,I tend to be uninspired by typical images of animals…the old “bird on a stick”shot fails to excite me. So,I try to capture images that are a little bit different. Not just your standard portrait of the creature…but something that gives the viewer a little bit more. Let me see if I can show you what I mean.

This stork was sitting on the edge of a narrow waterway –and although he was beautifully posed,he seemed a little lost in the tall grasses behind him. But I noticed that his reflection was just right. The brilliant blue sky was reflected in the smooth surface of the water,and it made a perfect background. Doesn’t he seem to be lost in thought?

Reflections came in handy when I took this shot of an alligator,too. The clouds and sky were reflected in the water,and the alligator seems to be skimming across a watery sky.

Adult storks seem to be 100 years old –because of their bald heads and wrinkly faces,I suppose. I think of them as knobby-kneed old men dressed in dusty,old-fashioned overcoats. So,I went with that. I converted this image to high-key black and white,and let the background blow out just a bit…as in an old photograph. This is a portrait of the very distinguished Grandpa Stork,who seems to have misplaced his top hat and cane. Ain’t he an old sweetie?

Well. This one speaks for itself I guess. Captain Jinkies here,decided to get all goofy in front of the camera. I have a whole series of images of these beautiful mountain goats…but this is the one that stands out. Go figure.
And how about this little dude? I love these tiny little birds –and this one caught this big old fish and was trying to find a way to get it down. It wasn’t going to work –but it sure was fun to watch!