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Sunday, July 27, 2008

«Flight of the Pigeons»

On the 25th when I was out photographing a few ships, I happened across an empty lot where someone had thrown some bird seed out. I'm glad I had my camera. Needless to say, I had a little fun with the pigeons.

It's tough to photograph a mass of birds. They don't stay in focus very long and they are always moving and shifting. They really move more like an amorphous blob than individual creatures. I even named these photos, for whatever reason. You can use them as desktop backgrounds if you wish. Click an image to view full, they really are better when seen full size.

Flight of the Pigeons. I found out I could get a better picture of them when they were coming back to the seeds rather than flying away.
Flight of the Pigeons
Blurred Amorphous Mass of Birds. I like how this one turned out, actually. It looks like it is a painting; you can almost see brush strokes in some of the wing feathers.
Blurred Amorphous Mass of Birds
The Pigeon Gathering. They are all facing toward the center with their tail feathers sticking out. It reminded me of a rock arrangement I photographed for some reason.
The Pigeon Gathering

10 comments:

  1. That was probably fun. I like the 2nd pic, blurred and frantic motion.

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  2. Yeah, the second one is my favorite as well.

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  3. You know, I've been thinking about these pictures since I saw them earlier.

    I don't know what kind of camera you have or whether you frame the image w/ a viewfinder or screen. It would be awesome to next time get low and capture the birds at ground level angled slightly to get them as they flee the scene.

    I've been trying to think of somewhere to go take the shot I just described. This Fall we'll be swarmed w/ black birds so I may try it then, though even as ugly as pigeons are, they are more photogenic than black birds. IMO

    Sorry, your pics just got me thinking.

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  4. I use a screen. I don't really like using a viewfinder. I didn't even think to get down to their level.

    I don't think pigeons are all that ugly. They're no majestic eagle, but still...

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  5. Well the reason I asked, it looked wet. You've mentioned the amount of rain you all have, I wouldn't want to be down on my knees or tummy in it to look through the viewfinder. Unless of course there was just no other way to get the shot.

    In that case I would probably just set to continuous and hold it down low shooting like mad and deleting almost all of it.

    No they aren't "ugly". But if I were setting out to photograph a bird, they would not be a top choice.

    We have a Cardinal that lives around our backyard. In 10 years I have yet to capture it on... oh how funny, I almost said film.

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  6. Wet? That's barely damp. It was sprinkling on and off that day. Nothing like today (July 28th)... We have a high wind advisory, and it has been raining steady.

    Some people still use film, I've seen it before.

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  7. Oh plenty of people still use film, I don't. I do still find myself talking as if I do though, which is why that struck me as funny.

    You know, if I see a puddle, regardless of size - it looks wet to me.

    Send some of the rain this way, we're just hot and humid and very still here. It's 108 in parts of Oklahoma today. Tulsa was 105 this weekend.

    No idea what the heat index would been on those, but fucking hot describes it well I think.

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  8. Damn... It's low 50's here. I'll trade you some rain for some heat.

    I'd like enough heat to make it 75 degrees here. I'll try not to send too much rain to flood you... We'll probably get a few inches of rain just today alone. That's enough to cause flash-floods in most places.

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  9. Yeah, the ground is so dry it would never soak it up.

    You guys must be fish... In this heat you'd shrivel. I don't know why that's funny to me but it is...

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  10. Probably the heat.

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