The Joy of Photographing Details

Feather Details and More

Cactus Wren

I photograph birds because it brings me joy.

First, I feel a special connection with life when looking into a bird’s eyes. Then I experience serenity while watching the pure simplicity of how birds live. And once back at home looking at the photos I’ve taken, I celebrate the beauty in Nature when I see the exquisite details in feather patterns, shapes, and colors.

For example, notice the complexity of patterns on the Cactus Wren. Even in this small photo, you can see that some of the throat feathers have white edges.

Canada Goose, Gosling

Then there’s the monochrome subtlety of a Canada Goose Gosling.

This bird has matured from being a bright yellow into the golden brown that you see here.

Forster’s Tern

Besides feather details, there are bill shapes.

Notice the contours that form this bill on a Forster’s Tern. Those ridges matter, too, because they make the bill strong enough to hold onto a fish.

House Finch, Male

Even a common bird, such as a House Finch, shows a spectrum of shades in its feathers.

Notice how tans blend into browns.

So I find beauty even in the plain brown birds that visit our yard.

Magnificent Hummingbird, Male, Juvenile

Some birds reveal their colors when the light is just so.

For example, here’s a Magnificent Hummingbird, juvenile male, showing a hint of what its gorget will look like when it becomes an adult.

All these photos show more details than could be seen by casual observation. And some of these details appear only during the instant when a shutter clicks.

In total, these photos represent a visual fortune. And like any wealth, I consider this to be a gift that has value only when I share it.

So that’s why I publish these blogs.

I hope that others will share my joy, and through that have a greater respect for Nature.

Keep up with Steve's work and sign-up for his newsletters on his website: www.stevekaye.com