Osprey - by Mike Busby Photography

     A while ago, I was driving along the edges of the Palouse farmlands in Eastern Washington. I happened across an Osprey nest on the side of the road. Although they are common, this nest was low to the ground and it was occupied by a mated pair.

"Spot On" - © 2016 Mike Busby Photography 

      I only had the infrared camera, but I happened to have the 200-500mm lens in the back of the truck. The combination of the nest close to the road along with the high power zoom enabled me to photograph the birds without having to get close to the nest.

© 2016 Mike Busby Photography 

     I've photographed numerous raptors in the Pacific Northwest, and their behavior is to generally take off before you can get too close, or if they are desensitized to man, to sit and and wait for you to leave. It's either a quick shot, or it's a waiting game before something interesting happens. This pair was different — way different. As I exited the truck, one of the birds took off and flew in large circles while checking me out. The birds exchanged positions several times, and I had almost 20 minutes to photograph them in flight while being in close proximity. It was a gift to have this amount of time, but it was extraordinary that they were engaging with me.

"Eye Contact" - © 2016 Mike Busby Photography

With infrared photography, blue skies go dark and plants and foliage go white. There is little infrared light in blue skies, whereas infrared is highly reflective off yellow and green surfaces. The birds were flying low over a large wheat field that reflected a ton of infrared light back into the sky. In effect, the wheat field became a massive light reflector and it lit a ton of detail from underneath.

"Take Off" - © 2016 Mike Busby Photography

     The combination of the bird's engagement, their low-flying patterns, the effects of infrared light, and the amount of shooting time enabled several striking images. I've photographed a lot of raptors before and after this day, but this one remains the most memorable.

© 2016 Mike Busby Photography

      I don't think it would have ever crossed my mind to photograph the Osprey with infrared. It was just one of those circumstances where a lot of different elements came together and resulted in a fantastic set of images.


More images at: Busbywc.com
Facebook: Mike Busby Photography