The squirrel leaping and robins in take off mode were captured the morning of my water photos for Blogging U #photo101 – Water and Orientation. Since then I have been thinking I needed to blog about the energy of motion in wildlife. Thankfully motion has turn my thoughts into action. The slideshow is a before and after showing the flow of energy in multiple beings.
The one that got away during lift off, leaping, running, flight etc. Elements of energy when photographing wildlife can represent both beauty and frustration. Wanting desperately to capture the perfect shot before they disappear and instead you only have their vanishing act. Perfection for me is both elements of energy. Building energy seen a crouch or expression of imminent flight followed by an explosion of energy in the lift off, leap or rapid turn.
Birds often provide both the still and motion blur on take off or during landing. Their wings and or legs becoming an independent focal element from the rest of their body. The strength of House Sparrows from the blog Street Fighters Flipping the Bird or their mating grace Happy Spring 2014 – Sparrows Dance of Life. A Pine Warbler dive bombing a White Throated Sparrow on a snowy trail. Elegant stretch of the wing by a Mourning Dove and the power wing extension of a Hawk.
Note the powerful reaction and energy in the robin barely out of the nest on take off. The force of wing action of both the juvenile Mockingbird and Pileated Woodpecker. Even the tiny fawn spins around with speed and rotation. The young use the energy to ensure their survival.
The only time I have been flustered photographing birds up close was early on during a morning hike. I was photographing the bark on a nearby Tree and a Vulture landed in frame. It was a huge surprise wings open as it came up from the Forest floor. I cannot imagine how it maneuvered in the close confines of the Forest. There I was close-up with my old Sony Cybershot in the drizzle looking a this massive bird. Did you know they build ground nests?