Behind The Shot

Every photograph tells a story—of the subject, the moment, the equipment, the timing, and the patience involved. Here, I wanted to share that story with you, and I hope you enjoy the moments that led up to the final image.

Thank you for your interest.

I haven’t updated this section in some time, so I’m closing out 2025 with this image, captured in late 2025.

The story behind this photograph began early one morning on a day I was off work. While I was in my kitchen, I noticed sudden movement in my backyard. Looking out the window, I saw several deer running through the yard. As I continued watching, I noticed a buck standing farther back, observing the activity intently.

Naturally, the photographer in me wanted to capture the moment—but getting out the back door without being noticed wasn’t an option. Instead, I exited through the front door and walked down the front path to the corner of the house. From there, I carefully peeked around the side to locate the buck. Once I had him in sight, I raised my camera, braced the lens hood against the corner of the house for stability, and slowly rotated around the wall until the buck was framed. I fired off a few shots and captured this image.

Timing worked in my favor, as this happened just before the trash truck came down the road, startling the deer and ending the moment.

This photograph was taken on December 16, 2025, using a Sony A7RV paired with a 400mm f/2.8 GM lens. Crop mode was enabled, resulting in an effective focal length of 600mm.

Yellow Crowned-Night Heron - 06/21/2025

Photographing the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

This image of a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron—one of my favorite birds to photograph—holds particular significance. Interestingly, it was my son Jake, who often joins me on photography outings, who first spotted the bird.

We were exploring a local park known for its population of herons and egrets. I had initially focused my attention on another Yellow-Crowned Night Heron in the distance and had knelt down to begin capturing it. That’s when Jake quietly called out, “Dad… Dad…” He repeated it gently until I looked his way. He then said, “Stand up slowly and look to your left.”

As I turned, I was surprised to see this stunning heron just ten feet away, partially concealed in the tall weeds—almost hidden in plain sight. Aware that I was a bit too close for comfort, I slowly backed up to avoid startling it, then crouched again to get to eye level. I pressed the shutter and captured this moment.

At the time of this posting, this remains my favorite photograph of a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Male)

After Nearly Two Years, I Finally Photographed a Hummingbird – Here's the Story

So, after nearly two years into my photography journey, I still hadn’t managed to capture a single hummingbird, until now (05/2025).

Just a week ago, I took a trip back to visit my family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Knowing the area is rich with wildlife, I packed almost all of my camera gear, hoping to steal a few moments for some nature photography.

What I didn’t expect was that my mom’s front yard would become the perfect Ruby-Throated Hummingbird haven. The moment I saw those tiny birds flying around her feeders and flowers, I was beyond excited.

Throughout the week, I carved out as much time as I could to sit quietly out front, camera ready. I not only got to photograph these incredible creatures, but I also had the joy of watching them zip through the air, chase each other playfully, and hover with almost magical precision.

I know I’ll have other chances, but those quiet mornings with the hummingbirds were something truly special. It meant the world to me.

A couple of my favorite shots from that week are now in my portfolio, hope you enjoy them as much as I did capturing them.

This photograph is of your ordinary Mourning Dove, but I’ve had many questions about this one. The main question is did I use a filter and the answer is no, let me explain.

This was actually taken in my very shaded backyard, where I was watching these Mourning Doves landing on this perch, then flying down to a lower feeder. So, I waited patiently for the exact moment to hit that shutter. After several attempts to time this photo I finally captured it.

I used a Sony A7RV with a Sony 200-600mm, again no filter used. The sun was shining through the trees, most light was actually behind the dove, but there was some light reflecting from the green grass back up toward the dove giving it a glowing appearance. So, between the light from behind and the glow of the grass, there it is.

Lastly, I edited this photo in Luminaire Neo and my settings: ISO 1600, 202mm, f5.6, 1/4000

Bald Eagles, a love of mine and obviously many others, I even had a tattoo of a Bald Eagle on my upper arm, now since been replaced with a dragon, long story.

A couple months ago while my daughter and I were photographing Blue Herons not to far from our home, a gentleman walked up and asked if we knew of this other location that had Bald Eagles and since we were both new to wildlife photography the answer was no. We truly appreciated the new information and made future plans to visit.

Well a couple months go by, I finally made the decision that it was time to visit this new location. My son and I loaded up early one Saturday morning and headed out not knowing what to expect, would they be there or not. Upon arriving we see other photographers already setup and taking pictures of these two beautiful eagles. Super excited, my son and I quickly found parking and headed back to the spot.

As we approach we can see these two eagles high in a tree, perched on some dead limbs. Can’t speak for my son, but for me, it was kind of an overwhelming moment. This is the first time I’ve ever seen Bald Eagles in the wild and to be able to photograph these birds was a dream come true!

Equipment I used to take this shot and settings. Sony A7RV with a 200-600mm G lens, this shot was handheld, 600mm, f8, 1/1000, iso 1600.