Painted Finch (male)
Emblema pictum
May 9th, 2018
Simpson's Gap, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Canon EOS 1D X Mark II
Canon EF 600mm f4L IS II USM lens
Canon EF 1.4x III Extender
Canon 600EX II-RT flash
This image is my favourite photograph of my trip to Alice Springs - the absolutely stunning male Painted Finch. These finches were my number one target bird to photograph for the trip & boy did they prove to be one of the most challenging species we attempted to photograph! Although we had two locations where they were seen each time we visited, getting a decent image was an incredibly tough proposition!
We put in many hours trying to photograph this species, with our best opportunities being at Simpson's Gap. However due to the the amount of visitors to this popular tourist location & the finches being very wary of people, we came away from several sessions with not much to show for our efforts. To make matters even more challenging, the waterholes from which the finches preferred to drink weren't photographer friendly (difficult to access & get clear line of sight) & the sheer size of the rock face of the Gap itself meant this location only had a couple of hours of sunlight each day - right in the middle of the day with the light at it's harshest!
On our second last day in Alice Springs, after a couple of hours of not much action, the birding Gods smiled upon us literally minutes before the shadows cast by the cliff face were creeping over the rocks around the waterhole. I couldn't believe my eyes when this little stunner landed at eye level on a very appealing rock right in front of us! The next few seconds is what bird photography is all about for me - the absolute rush of ecstasy mixed with anxiety as the focus point locks on target & the shutter fires away & you pray that just one of the shots is in focus & the bird gives you the eye contact & the pose you desperately want to capture!! And when that fleeting moment is over & you quick as lightning scroll through the images on the back of the camera looking for that one special image.. AND to actually find that image on the back of the camera that makes you go WOW.. that right there is why I love what I do & will spend hours & hours searching & walking & crawling & waiting - chasing the opportunity to recapture that feeling!
And just sometimes, on those rare amazingly wonderful moments, everything comes together.
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