Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Observe First, Photograph Second
Being a great observer of nature helps you take better pictures
© Mick Thompson
When Day Scott teaches people how to take pictures of birds, she emphasizes observing birds carefully before picking up the camera. Sometimes that means choosing whether or not to even attempt a photo. In this episode, Day shares a story about choosing whether or not to try and photograph a rare Painted Bunting in her area or to see the bird in high-definition through her binoculars.
BirdNote®
Observe First, Photograph Second
Written by Conor Gearin
This is BirdNote.
When Day Scott teaches people how to take pictures of birds, she emphasizes observing birds carefully before picking up the camera. Sometimes that means choosing whether or not to even attempt a photo — like the time there was a rare bird in her area, a Painted Bunting. The bird kept visiting a friend’s backyard.
Day Scott: We knew where the bird was landing every hour, but I was not guaranteed to get a good picture, and I did not want to set myself up for disappointment. And I went over there and I stayed for hours and hours. And I had to make a decision. Do I want to try to get a photo, or do I want to look through my binoculars?
A camera takes an image that lasts forever, but in the moment, Day would only see the bird with one eye through the viewfinder. In contrast, her binoculars would give her a high-definition view of the bird in real life.
[Painted Bunting song]
Finally, the Painted Bunting appeared.
Day Scott: I chose to see the bird out of the binoculars when it came.
[Painted Bunting song]
Day Scott: And I had the biggest smile on my face because I had never seen a Painted Bunting, and I saw it very clearly.
For Day, being an observer of nature is what lets her take great pictures.
Day Scott: I learned how to observe first. And if you get to know that species and its behavior, you have a really good chance of catching it in a behavior that you want to photograph.
[Painted Bunting song]
Day Scott: I teach right from the heart with my photography.
For BirdNote, I’m Jonese Franklin.
###
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Painted Bunting ML334945671 recorded by Andrew Spencer.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2024 BirdNote February 2024
Narrator: Jonese Franklin
ID# scottd-01-2024-02-27 scottd-01
Jonese Franklin
Narrator
Conor Gearin
WriterSights & Sounds
