I got a visit from one of my favorite birds, the brown-headed cowbird. It came along in the evening, when there wasn’t much light, so I had to photograph a very dark-feathered bird with very little light. I cranked up the ISO and hoped for the best.
Their feathers soak up the available light from most angles, and I got lucky on the shot above. Usually, they look like flying blackness; their feathers can be incredibly dark. Here’s a shot of the same bird sitting on a plant hanger.
A moment later, he seemed to notice me and it was not with an approving stare.
I really like the quality of the light in these shots. Not only did I finally get a good photo, the conditions made them really look wonderful. The sun did finally break through the clouds briefly, and I got a ‘fully illuminated” shot of the bird. Even so, there are still deep, dark shadows among the feathers around the neck and tail. At times, they feel like ‘flying night’ if that makes any sense…
I feel pretty fortunate to have had the right equipment at the right time to get these shots.
Their feathers look like evening wear, so dark.