It's in my blood.
Since I was given my first camera, when I was a little kid, I have always been fascinated by capturing in a shot what my eyes were seeing around me. The beauty of nature or the smile of a friend, an event or an emotion... Precious pearls to be framed in a photo. Whether freezing a movement or moving the stillness, looking at normality through a different angle or portraying the exceptional, I can choose different perspectives, I can catch reality. I think this passion is in my blood, I inherited it from my Grandpa and then from my Dad, and it has always had a great influence in my life. Come and follow me in my journey searching impressions of life.



Sunday, July 31, 2016

On the Black Grouse Lek - part 2

Three months... yes, three months! I can't believe I left so much time pass between part one and part two of this post! What a shame... :(


               24mm f/5.0 1/100sec ISO800 +3.33


Anyway, I am going to show you now probably the most interesting part of the courtship, the actual fights.
While the mating display I told you about in the previous part continues for most of the time, once in a while a more serious action takes place, especially when females come to visit the lek.

               560mm f/5.6 1/1250sec ISO800 +1.33


               560mm f/5.6 1/500sec ISO3200 +0.67


               560mm f/5.6 1/500sec ISO3200 +0.67


               400mm f/6.3 1/640sec ISO6400 +0.67


The confrontations go from just facing each other without really "attacking", to jumping towards the adversary trying to find an opening.


               400mm f/5.6 1/1600sec ISO1250 +1.33


And then... ATTACK!


               400mm f/5.6 1/640sec ISO640 +0.67


               400mm f/5.0 1/400sec ISO3200 +0.67


               400mm f/6.3 1/400sec ISO3200 +0.67


Everything is very fast and it's quite difficult to clearly see what's happening in those few seconds. Only when I look at the pictures, later, after coming back home, I can see the drama of the action, the fierce look and the strength the birds put in the fight. Feathers fly in the air and for a short but very intense time, the two birds fight in the air, almost as if they were dancing.


               400mm f/6.3 1/1000sec ISO2000 +1


               400mm f/5.6 1/1250sec ISO800 +1.33


               400mm f/5.6 1/1250sec ISO800 +1.33


               400mm f/5.0 1/400sec ISO3200 +0.67


               400mm f/5.0 1/400sec ISO3200 +0.67


Shots have been taken throughout a period of four days, in different weather, as you can see from the colors and the light conditions.


               400mm f/7.1 1/800sec ISO2500 +0.67


               400mm f/5.6 1/800sec ISO2500 +0.67


And then, suddenly, everybody fly away... a small bird of prey arrived in the distance... better be far, you never know. It was almost time, anyway, for the birds to stop their mating activity for the day.


               722mm f/8.0 1/320sec ISO6400 -0.67


The four days spent photographing these beautiful birds have been an awesome experience that I hope to repeat one day. If you enjoyed the shots, you might enjoy also the story I published on MAPTIA:







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