Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/on-photography-close-observation-and-curiosity/5025553/
*Photos can be found in the pdf version of this article.
Wildlife photography allows me to learn about animal behavior and to document it. Using different lenses, I am able to capture and magnify things that would be difficult to see with a naked eye: a bird with a tiny insect caught in its beak, a crow playing with a shiny object across the field, a distant eagle hidden in a tree while ravens energetically mob it. Photography provides visual cues as well as a permanent record of the animals I observe. I took photos of a young crow that had a small silver band attached to its leg. I submitted photos of this extraordinary bird, including the complete band number, to the United States Geological Survey. The USGS was able to tell me the estimated year of birth, the sex, the date she was banded and who banded her. I learned my crow, a female, was at least 17 years old and one of the oldest reported banded crows. She was banded by corvid expert John Marzluff in West Seattle.
Through photography, I can share my love for crows and all living beings. Once I capture images, I examine the photos more ...