Light and Shadow: Capturing a Prothonotary Warbler's Reflection

The still water mirrored the prothonotary warbler's vibrant yellow plumage against the dark embrace of a mossy log. This perfect reflection transformed a fleeting natural moment into an artistic study of light, shadow, colour, and form. Capturing such brilliance demanded meticulous attention to detail, particularly in preserving the delicate highlights of the bird's golden feathers. In manual exposure, careful calibration of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO was essential, constantly referencing the camera's histogram and employing highlight alerts to avoid clipping. Beyond technical mastery, composition elevated the image. The log's form guided the eye towards the warbler and its ethereal reflection, while the dark backdrop intensified the bird's luminous colour. The bark's texture and subtle shadows added layers of visual depth.

Intriguingly, the "prothonotary" warbler's name echoes the bright yellow robes of Roman Catholic prothonotaries public, a historical link made unexpectedly resonant by the naming of a new Pope today.

Prothonotary warbler Reflection (Protonotaria citrea, Pauline orangée, Protonotaria citrea, PROW). From my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop on May 8, 2025, at Point Pelee National Park of Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS Lens @800mm ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Northern Shoveler Reflection

This Northern Shoveler was photographed during my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico. Shovelers spend so much time “shovelling” that getting an image with their bills out of the water is challenging!

When photographing ducks in a pond, I start as low as possible to capture the sweetest low-contrast golden light. As the light becomes more contrasty, I work at higher angles to capture fuller reflections and eliminate bright distractions in the background.

Many of the dabbling ducks use their flat bills to strain food items from the water, but the big spatulate bill of the Northern Shoveler is adapted to take this habit to the extreme. Flocks of shovelers often swim along with their big bills barely submerged in front of them, straining food from the muddy soup of shallow waters.

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata, Canard souchet, NSHO) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Black-crowned Night-heron Golden Light Reflection

On the last morning of my Better than Bosque Workshop (Dec. 9, 2024), our Wood Duck shoot was interrupted by a couple of Black-crowned Night Herons, a common and often overlooked species!

The light was golden, and the fog burned off quickly, so I maneuvered into the best angle and got one frame off before it flew to perch in a tree for the rest of the day.

I have just announced the Dec. 5-9, 2025, Better than Bosque workshop. Click the image or link below to learn more and sign up.

Black-crowned Night-heron Golden Light Reflection (Nycticorax nycticorax, Bihoreau gris, BCNH) from the last morning of my Better than Bosque workshop (Dec.9, 2024). Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 5,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Northern Shoveler Portrait

During my recent Better than Bosque workshop in New Mexico, we had a ton of fun with the ducks in Albuquerque. The water was perfect for reflections of the various species of ducks that came close.

Northern Shoveler Portrait (Spatula clypeata, Canard souchet, NSHO) from today while scouting for my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Check-out a flying Northern Shoveler from last year:

Click the image to see a Northern Shoveler in flight from last year.

Least Sandpiper Reflection

A Least Sandpiper from my Best of Bosque workshop last December. We were at the Crane ponds for the last drops of light, and the air was so still that the reflections were fantastic. Most photographers were lying in the mud trying to get infinite out-of-focus backgrounds, but we chose to work with our tripods fully extended to maximize the reflections.

Eared Grebe with reflection

Still water on a cloudy and windless day was perfect to create images with reflections. This is an Eared Grebe from my Best of Bosque workshop last December.

Among the most skillful of all diving birds, grebes not only plunge headfirst underwater; they also can sink slowly out of sight by compressing their feathers and driving out trapped air, thus making themselves less buoyant. Grebes, in fact, are so well adapted to life in the water that they seldom fly, and many birders have never seen one on the wing.

Last minute opening March 5-9 2020 Bald Eagle Workshop

There is one spot left for my otherwise sold-out Bald Eagle Workshops due to cancellation. This is a great opportunity to join the very best trip to bring home a complete portfolio of Bald Eagle images from a single trip. Join me March 5-9, 2020 in Homer Alaska!