This photo is one of my favorites and by far my all time favorite of 2022. It tells a lot with very little.
The idea
It was in the beautifully run down Park Phoenix in Nice, France that I came across this majestic bird perched in a very tranquil state of mind. No worries in the world, or maybe not.
This one caught my eye. It seemed at peace and yet also in a state of unease as it opened its eyes ever so often it heard a noise. I couldn't help but feel that maybe it just wanted a way out. I genuinely felt sorry for it and let myself have a moment of compassion for a bird I barely just saw. I imagined its past life, and asked myself whether it was happier here or elsewhere or whether it was born in cage. It didn't seem to play along with the others and conveyed a feeling of loneliness.
The cage, the closed eye, and the position of the bird told an entire story I couldn't've told any better way than through my photo.
The technique
The aperture is crucial here. Getting the right amount of bokeh depends on it. I set up the aperture at f 4.5 (I unfortunately couldn't get any lower) and zoomed as much as possible. The issue here is the distance between me and the bird. Being too far, I had to crop the image substantially. The detail of the image relies entirely on the capabilities of the sensor and the precision of the lens.
With the more recent technology, we are much better able to crop in, and that is why I alway privilege a wider zoom, because I can always edit afterwards.
Tools
Camera: Canon 1300D
Lens: 18-55 mm
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