First of Wildlife Photos This Year

It has been another quiet morning here while my health finds its "new normal" and I recover from a lingering cold amid the usual Systemic Mastocytosis symptoms and spinal pain. I did a little bit of light physical therapy for my spinal injuries and then noticed that there were some birds outside our kitchen window.

I grabbed my old... very old... camera which has a Kodak sensor. I grabbed this camera only because my longest lens was already mounted on it. It is a noisy sensor and not great for overcast days like today but it was convenient for me this morning. 

I went back to the kitchen and slowly opened the window... the birds scattered... but they returned within a few short minutes. 

While I was waiting for the birds to return, I set the white balance, checked my aperture, checked my shutter speed and chose an ISO of 400 (which is the upper limit on this particular camera). It would be a challenge to get a crisp photo of a small bird under these conditions with this particular camera but I was up for a bit of a challenge...

There was one American Goldfinch perched on a nearby branch which would allow me to capture a few quick photos... I waited for the bird to turn toward me... carefully focused... held my breath... and carefully depressed the shutter release... 

I firmly believe in capturing the moment deliberately... not using a rapid fire "spray and pray" burst mode. Those ridiculous burst modes are for fast moving sports and best when used by those with some experience. "Spray and pray" modes only result in capturing far too many bad shots. I shoot deliberately... when I see something worth capturing... carefully... with smooth breath control... and very little movement... like a sniper... one deliberate shot. That is what I did here.

So, this is the first shot of any wildlife for 2016.. nothing special... but it is a step in the right direction!