01/09/2022
I've been chasing Raven portraits for awhile. In October, I got the chance with a pair of ravens at a pull off in Yellowstone National Park. They clearly had been fed as they were not afraid and were curious to see if I'd oblige them with some treat. I didn't (being against the law to feed wildlife), but I did take advantage of their curiosity and spent some quality time with them.
It was a bright overcast day (as you can see in the reflection of its eye). When the sun peeked through for a brief moment, I was struck by the iridescence of their feathers - photo 1 - though not as bright as turkey feather iridescence, still there were shades of blue, magenta, and copper with a hint of green on the neck. My first thought was to capture the colors because they will make a beautiful skein of yarn - a dye project for next week!
Upon examining the plethora of images, I was struck a second time by the feathers themselves. The variety of shapes, sizes, and textures is just beautiful and when the light hits them... well, I'll let you form your own impressions...
Side note: I photograph birds more than any other subject. They are so diverse in size, color, shape, and expression - and those are just the physical aspects that attracts me as an artist. But, learning of their behaviors along the way makes them even more fascinating. Truth be told, I've always been keen on their comings and goings.
One of the other reasons I tend to concentrate on birds is their abundance. It's pretty easy to go out with the camera and find birds if there is nothing else... even birds I've photographed hundreds of times.
Their being so commonplace also potentially creates an attitude of "ho-hum" for the viewer. I get that. I take it as a challenge for me to capture bird images that highlight their uniqueness either physically or in a behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed, light or a setting that enhances their natural beauty, or some other attribute that makes you, the viewer, pause long enough to think, "Would you look at that. I had no idea."
Challenge accepted and in this case, we're highlighting the gorgeous feathers of a Common Raven.
Enjoy! And as always, thanks for looking!
