I was looking at ebird hotspots in my area when I found one for Cedar Hill Canyon just north of Virginia City, NV. I odd thing was that no checklists had been submitted for the Canyon so I decided to take a look. I hiked up the canyon and as I got back to my truck and was putting my camera away I heard a call of a Canyon Wren.
Featured Photo: Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus), 20190917 - Cedar Hill Canyon, STO (NV)
EQ: D850, 500mm f/4 Taken: 9-17-2019 at 12:12
Settings: 500mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/4.5, ISO100, 1/3EV Conditions: sunny
The Canyon Wren isn’t a common bird in the area so I grabbed my camera and headed back to the cliffs. It was hopping around the cliffs but to far away for a great shot. Then it came off the cliffs and perched on a rock about 3m away. It was sunny so the ISO was at 100 and I usually have my shutter speed above 1/1000s and in this case it was set to 1/1250s. Getting the soft focus background, or bokeh, with a long lens is easier than with a short lens but it is still important to open up the aperture and I had it at 1/3 of a stop above the maximum or f/4.5. Another important part of getting a soft bokeh is to be aware of the background and move around to find a spot that is far enough away from the subject to get the soft focus.
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens), 20190513 - Magee Marsh - Boardwalk, LUC (OH)
Again with the Black-throated Green Warbler, the simple soft background it is clear what is the subject. I also like the way the leave frame the birds head leading right to his eye. The rest of the photos demonstrate how a soft background really brings out the subject even when there are other habit elements in the plane of the birds.
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope), 20190622 - Davis Creek RP, WAS (NV)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica), 20190513 - Magee Marsh - Boardwalk, LUC (OH)
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca), 20190513 - Magee Marsh - Boardwalk, LUC (OH)
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), 20190511 - Edge of Appalachia Preserve, ADM (OH)
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor), 20190510 - Red River Gorge - Rock Bridge Road, WOL (KY)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), 20190503 - Davis Creek RP, WAS (NV)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus), 20190503 - Davis Creek RP, WAS (NV)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), 20190321 - Damonte Ranch Wetlands, WAS (NV)
California Quail (Callipepla californica), 20171230 - Minden CBC, DOU (NV)
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), 20171229 - Diamond Creek Pond, WAS (NV)
Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata), 20171210 - Natural Bridges SP, SCZ (CA)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula), 20171005 - Tahoe Meadows, WAS (NV)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), 20190802 - Tahoe Meadows, WAS (NV)
Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about these photos or any other leave me a message.