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Let's talk about the birds and the bees folks, but first please get your mind out of the gutter. I am talking about real birds and real bees, more specifically, photographing them.
The photos featured on page two of The Times frequently have insects, birds and other wildlife in them. The creatures are doing their part in our efforts to "showcase the beauty of the Mid-Ohio Valley."
Including them in photos adds an additional layer to a photo. I describe it as a secondary subject. In most cases the bug, bird or bull for that matter is the secondary subject in the photo. The moon and the sun also make good secondary subjects, but this column is about the birds and the bees. We will talk about heavenly bodies later.
Insects and birds are photographed differently because of their size.
Bees are fun to photograph because they are easy to find. Just find a flower, and sooner than later you will also find a bee helping to pollinate it. Although they are easy to find, they are a challenge to photograph because they are so small. The computer that you have in your pocket, also known as a smart phone, does a pretty good job. You have to remember a few things though. First make sure the photo is in focus. The auto focus will likely try to focus on the biggest object, which is likely the flower, not the bee. Touching the screen might fix that. Just as when you are photographing people, you want the eyes to be in focus. If the eyes are out of focus it will feel like the whole photo is fuzzy. The photo on page 2 of today's Times was shot with an iPhone, it shows wildflowers that happen to be in my backyard. The photo was shot late in the day when the light coming from the west is perfect.
Framing can be a little tricky, if you get too close your camera phone will simply not focus anymore and you also risk getting stung. Get too far away and the insect will be so small that you can't see it. Resist the temptation to zoom your phone. This will normally produce a pixelated image that does not look right. The perfect shot will show the flower and the bee and perhaps another secondary subject like a landmark.
A few years ago, I was trying to capture a bee on the tiny flowers growing in the grass in Muskingum Park. I was laying on the ground so I could get the historical First Congregational Church in the background. The landmark provides what I call a geographic intensifier that allows the newspaper reader to know where the photo was taken. I was pretty much in the "photo zone" and did not notice that my wife was standing behind me taking a photo of me laying in Muskingum Park taking a photo. I was zapped out of the zone by a random couple walking down the sidewalk who had stopped to take a photo of my wife taking a photo of me laying on my stomach taking a photo of a bee.
Birds are a little harder to photograph. I rarely attempt to take bird photos with a smart phone. A true telephoto lens does a better job and is also easier for the birds.
Large birds in the area seem to be making a remarkable comeback. Bald eagles have become common as have hawks and great blue herons. Wild turkeys and geese are also very common, with geese becoming a nuisance along the river.
All large birds become nice additions to general landscape photos. They provide that secondary subject to any wide photo of a river, a grove of trees or a cultivated field.
If the bird is the main subject of the photo however, you are likely going to need a telephoto lens. This allows you to get a close-up photo without getting that close to the bird. Get too close to a large bird and they will fly away. A big bird takes a lot of energy to get air born. Please do not make them do this. They need their energy to find food, not to flee people trying to get a picture of them. Closer than around 150 feet will normally cause them to try to get away from you.
Smaller birds, like the cardinal, woodpecker and bluejay will normally come closer to humans, especially if food is involved. A telephoto lens will still help you if your goal is to make the bird the subject of the photo. Your issue here is size, not distance. I did a full photo essay a few years ago called "Yard birds" where I took every photo in my own yard, many through my kitchen window.
Regardless of what you photograph outdoors, remember to send it to us for possible inclusion on page two of The Times, and remember that the feature uses a horizontal format.
Art Smith is online manager of the Times, he can be reached at asmith@mariettatimes.com