I’ve been trying to find time to rework some older photo collections for my archive, most recently photos from my first trip to east Africa. It’s been fun approaching old images with a new perspective, but I’m also finding goodies that have never been processed before, or subjects that I’ve never properly identified. For example, I can now officially include the Splendid Starling in my collection, even though this photo was taken back in 2007.
It’s a basic pose, but I like the image for two different contrasts it provides: a pretty bird on a nasty perch (a dead buffalo lions had killed just off the road in the Serengeti), and the fact that so many African starlings are common birds but remain quite beautiful. It’s hard to say they’re underrated, but I also think our Rock Pigeons/Doves fit the same bill.
I like the mixtures of color and texture in this image. Well composed even though I typically don’t care for centered images. The presence of the Buffalo offsets the centering. Great background that works well.
Hello, Max, nice image and you are so right: sometimes the every-day bird is neglected, but they are often beautiful. The contrast with the perch is stunning. Cheers, Hans
A beautiful bird, Max, and an interesting perch that viewed as an abstract is actually very interesting. For my taste, the composition feels like it could use a tiny bit more room on top, but it’s not a major issue.
