The skies were dark and overcast early this afternoon as we awaited the hurricane that was likely to bring rains and winds, though we are probably not directly in its path. The birds in my neighborhood were unusually active, so I decided to try to take some photographs of them. With few exceptions, my photos turned out to be silhouettes, because the existing light was too weak to illuminate the birds against the backdrop of the sky. I like the effect, however, and decided to post some of these silhouettes. The first one, my favorite, was a shot in which the bird started to take off just as I pressed the shutter and I like the result better than if I had captured him on the branch. Some of the other images show birds in flight or in action. Somehow they seems appropriate for a stormy day (and I can hear the wind and the rain outside as I write this entry).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.





I love it when the unplanned becomes art! Lovely photos!
Thanks. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have (and then be pleasantly surprised with the results).
aerial ballet.. just beautiful and suiting the silhouettes.
Thanks. What a cool idea–aerial ballet–I love it.
Unusual and covering a range of possible circumstances.
Often silhouettes can work out great which you have proven here!
Thanks. Sometimes I try silhouettes on purpose. In this case, it wasn’t necessarily intentional, but it worked out ok.