Hello Reader !

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I drove 1,359 miles to photograph birds.
​Well… sort of.

Truth is, I’d been on a multi-state road trip, shooting landscapes all along the way.

But I’d heard whispers about the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge (in Florida).

Supposedly a goldmine for wildlife photography.

So I figured, why not?

That day, the place was alive.

Birds, gators, iguanas… nature was showing off.

Then I saw it… an American White Ibis. My first. A “lifer,” as they say.

It stood just 30 feet off the boardwalk… calm as could be, like it owned the place.

I grabbed my shot. I was thrilled.

Until I looked closer…

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Not so good is it?​
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Here’s what went wrong:

• I couldn’t zoom out (already at 180mm), so I ended up cropping off part of its tail and clipped it awkwardly at the knees. It looked… amputated.
• There were distractions all over; twigs, branches, reflections, maybe even some foreground clutter. The kind of visual noise that pulls your eye away from the subject.
• And composition-wise, it just felt off. Forced. Like I took the shot because I could, not because it was the right moment.

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I could've done better.

However, based on its position and my inability or lack of desire to walk in the alligator infested waters, I stayed on dry ground and had to wait for a better opportunity.

Six minutes later, it walked into a clear, open stretch of water. No branches. No visual clutter.

But now it was further away.

So I popped on my 1.4x teleconverter, shot wide open at f/9, and something amazing happened…

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The background melted into a soft, smooth blur.

That classic, creamy bokeh we all chase.

The Ibis was now the star of the image: white and brown tones, light blue eyes, and a beak that shifted from orange to pink.

The contrast with the dark blue water behind it?

Perfect. The subject finally popped.

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As you know, with wildlife, sometimes we just have to get the shot before something (usually me) spooks it.

But when the opportunity strikes strive for a better shot. Patience is a virtue!

Then, work the scene. Wait. Watch. Roam.

One step. One lens swap. One quiet pause.

That might be the difference between an ordinary photo and an extraordinary one.

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Have an awesome day!

Chris Parker

Parker Photographic

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269 WALKER ST V5718, Detroit, Michigan 48207-4258
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