Tag: grass

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Pacific Golden Plover

A pacific golden plover in winter plumage stalks through the grass looking for food
A pacific golden plover in winter plumage stalks through the grass looking for food

One bird I was surprised to see on my recent trip to Hawaii was the Pacific Golden Plover. I wasn’t so much surprised to see it on the island of Kauai as I was to see it so far away from shore or a wetland. Many were dispersed throughout a residential suburb, happily feeding from manicured lawns and landscaping. Apparently these birds had adapted to a new environment that lent itself to plentiful food.

A pacific golden plover in winter plumage stalks through the grass looking for food
A pacific golden plover in winter plumage stalks through the grass looking for food

This plover can also be seen on the western coast of the US, but not in such numbers as I saw on the island. Adults can develop a beautiful golden brown accent to their feather pattern.

In order to get intimate closeup shots with a 400mm lens, I found myself sitting low to the ground and waiting for the birds to get comfortable with my presence. When one would start to move away from me, I had to fight the urge to creep after it, and sure enough, most of the time it would wander back to within shooting distance. However, these guys were definitely more skittish than the Red-crested Cardinals.

A pacific golden plover in winter plumage stalks through the grass looking for food
A pacific golden plover in winter plumage stalks through the grass looking for food

Another lesson in patience and another species down for a trip which would eventually present many new species to photograph.

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Red-crested Cardinal

A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, Kauai, Hawaii.
A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, looking for food
A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, looking for food

One of the more interesting birds I got to spend time photographing on my recent Kauai trip was the Red-crested Cardinal. This turned out to be a relatively tame bird, and I had several occasions to get quite close. I found that sitting on the ground and waiting for them to approach provided both a stable (and low) position from which to take photos, and allowed me to remain very still so as not to spook them.

A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, looking for food
A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, looking for food

Natively found in South America, this species was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1930s. Even though its common name includes “cardinal”, it is not closely related to other cardinals, including the common Northern Cardinal found in eastern North America. Rather, the Red-crested is part of the Tanager family. Males and females are similarly colored, while immature birds have a dull orange color to their crest.

A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, Kauai, Hawaii.
A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, Kauai, Hawaii.

Ultimately, I spent quite a bit of time with a few of these feisty looking little birds. The longer I sat with them, the more used to me they became. In fact, on several occasions, they got within a foot or two, far too close for my lens’ minimum focus distance. At that point I wished I had a second body with a wide angle lens attached – it would have made for a very unique photo!

A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, Kauai, Hawaii.
A red-crested cardinal stands in short grass, Kauai, Hawaii.
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Sonoma Coast Sunrise

Dawn breaks over the rolling hills of the Sonoma Coast
Dawn breaks over the rolling hills of the Sonoma Coast

A little while ago a friend and I were out near Bodega, shooting sunrise along the Sonoma coast. Because we were getting some morning fog rolling inland, any kind of shoot along the water was a no go, and we headed into the rolling hills just off the ocean. Here we had great views to the south as the sun side-lit the undulating farmland, punctuated by scattered forest.

The early rays of sun peak through a dissipating fog along the Sonoma Coast
The early rays of sun peak through a dissipating fog along the Sonoma Coast

I love opportunities to shoot fog, whether it is filtering through trees, or defining separation between mountains or hills. The added atmosphere can lend a certain drama to the photo.

Once the sun had risen, I chose to shoot directly into it, knowing the fog would help filter the direct light.

The early rays of sun peak through a dissipating fog along the Sonoma Coast
The early rays of sun peak through a dissipating fog along the Sonoma Coast

Here I loved the way the fog helped the trees separate into layers. I worked the composition and exposure, trying to balance the direct sun, low contrast fog, and back-lit grasses so that they could all add elements to the same photo. Once I was satisfied with some of the larger elements of the landscape, I moved into the macro realm to capture detail.

The rising sun backlights the golden grasses of a Sonoma Coast hillside
The rising sun backlights the golden grasses of a Sonoma Coast hillside

The back-lit grass itself captured my attention and demanded further photographic exploration. Moving from a small aperture to a very large one gave me the ability to amplify the fine detail of only the few grasses that remained in focus. The rest of the grass blended into a nice evenly colored backdrop.

Soon the sun had risen higher and the fog began to burn off in the rapidly warming day. I packed up my gear, happy for the fog that forced us up into the hills.

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Happy Easter

A blacktail jackrabbit munches on short grass in the shade of a tree
A blacktail jackrabbit munches on short grass in the shade of a tree

May you and your loved ones have a joyous and safe Easter. May you be surrounded by peace, laughter and the spirit of renewal.

Copyright 2017 Hank Christensen