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Some birbs

As a child, I loved watching and identifying birds. Armed with a well-thumbed field guide, I would look up each new visitor and proudly tell my grandma what I’d found. Not in a professional ornithologist’s way, but with the curiosity only kids have.

As I grew older, my interests shifted and birdwatching faded into the background. But during the lockdown and long days of home office, I found myself drawn back in. Right outside my window stands a Norway maple, and it’s become a regular stopover for all kinds of birds. Suddenly, I was noticing them again - their calls, their colors, the way they flit from branch to branch.

Getting a Vivitar 400mm 5.6 lens made it even more fun. I started trying to capture these “birbs” on film -sometimes with more enthusiasm than skill, but always with a sense of wonder. It’s not easy: birds are quick, the light is unpredictable, and film is unforgiving. But there’s something satisfying about the challenge, and about seeing the results, even if they’re imperfect.

Here are a few of my recent attempts at bird photography:

Here i realized that the starling has really beautiful feather colors when the sun shines on it

Here i realized that the starling has really beautiful feather colors when the sun shines on it

A great spotted woodpecker. It was hard to catch

A great spotted woodpecker. It was hard to catch

This crow was my first test to see if my Vivitar lens worked

This crow was my first test to see if my Vivitar lens worked

On the Tempelhof field you can observe many kestrels

On the Tempelhof field you can observe many kestrels

I’m still learning, and most of my shots are far from perfect. But I like that this old habit has found its way back into my life, and that I can combine it with my love for analog photography. Maybe, in a way, I’m seeing these birds, and my own frontyard, with new eyes.

tags: kodak gold 200, fuji superia x-tra 400, agfa apx 400, birds, vivitar 400mm 5.6