One of the very first avian photographs I made was of a White Breasted Nuthatch. I look forward to the winter to try and photograph them because it is hard to get a lens on them when all the leaves are out, they are very skittish birds.

A real challenge for me is trying to better my images. Before I try to photograph a place or a subject I have already photographed, I look through the past images and try to figure out how I can be better than I was the last time. Things like, angles, time of day, background, focus, depth of field and composition are all elements of the photograph that I can clearly make better the second time around…..at least I try!

Neither one of these images will win any awards and thats ok. The important thing is that you go out and try. You never know when you might make that once in a lifetime image!

Now that fall has the northeast firmly in its grasp, finding good birds to photograph is a little more difficult. I ventured to some coastal wetlands in search of some migrants and was able to add a new bird to my file.

I found a pair of Sanderlings foraging. Boy can they move. They never stood still and practicing peak of action photography was tough. The conditions also complicated things as the sun was very low and the birds were backlit.

One of the great things about photography is the excitement associated with trying again. While I didn’t get the shot I wanted, I now have some experience with a new species that will help me upon my next encounter. The lessons learned from putting your time in are transferable to all aspects of this vocation.