In the midst of all of the chaotic turmoil swirling in my country, I feel a need to post an image reflective of the inner peace that I am seeking at this time, a peace that seems so elusive during this challenging time. This past Monday I encountered this Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) as I was walking along one of the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
The dove was part of a small flock that I inadvertently flushed as the birds were foraging on the ground. Most of the doves flew away, but this one perched in a nearby tree and I was able to capture this peaceful portrait.
Here in the Washington D.C. area we are all in mourning for those who died when a helicopter collided with an airplane over the Potomac River. I hope and pray that we all can use this time for support and sympathy for those who lost loved ones in the accident and not for launching accusations or blame on either end of the political spectrum. “To everything there is a season…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)
Best wishes to all for a blessed month of February.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Views of a Mourning Dove
Posted in Birds, commentary, Nature, Photography, tagged dove, Hidden Pond Nature Center, mourning dove, Nikon 80-400mm lens, Nikon D300, Springfield, VA, Zenaida macroura on February 26, 2013| 8 Comments »
Using a borrowed Nikon D300 camera with an 80-400mm lens, I was able to get a lot closer to birds than I am used to, permitting me to to get shots like these ones of a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura).
Yesterday was a mostly sunny, spring-like day and Cindy Dyer, my photography mentor, and I made a brief visit to a local nature center to shoot some photos. She was excited to photograph the purple crocuses (or is that croci) that were in bloom. (Be sure to check out her blog regularly as we move into spring for lots of gorgeous flower images.)
I, on the other hand, was eager to play around with the camera that she had lent me. Most often I shoot with a Canon Rebel XT and a 55-250mm zoom lens. It is a lightweight combination that has served me well, but it has some limitations. Cindy shoots with Nikon gear and is a self-professed “gadget girl,” so she had more than enough gear to share.
It took a while to get used to the settings on the Nikon, but the real challenge was learning to shoot with the large lens. My hands and arms were not used to the weight of such a lens and I definitely would need a lot more practice to take fuller advantage of its capabilities (and I probably should have put aside my male ego and followed Cindy’s recommendation to put the camera on a tripod).
Here are two images of a Mourning Dove that I photographed. Cindy tweaked the first one in Photoshop and it is striking to see how she was able to bring out the details in the dove. I produced the second image, working in Photoshop Elements. The starting images may have been of equal quality, but it is clear to me that Cindy’s greater experience in Photoshop helped her produce a superior final image in a shorter period of time.
What did I learn? Well, I think that the most important lesson to me is the value of constant practice, whether it be in using camera equipment or in using photo software. There are always new things to learn—and that helps to keep me energized about my photography.
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