"As my companions caught up with me, the cave came alive in an explosion of fluttering wings. I had a nasty fall on the river rocks on my return trip, but my knee pain vanished when I saw this photo"
Award-winning photographer tells the story behind his honored image in major bird photography competition – and the challenges behind the capture
Wildlife photographer Faber Mosquera Álvarez faced a challenging task in capturing an Olibird in its natural habitat. Álvarez explains to Audubon magazine that he went ahead of his companions to cross a rushing river, find the ideal angle, and avoid disturbing the area. The cave's lighting conditions proved critical, so he adjusted his camera settings. With an APS-C DSLR, he set a fast shutter speed of 1/250 sec and increased light sensitivity to freeze the birds' movement.
Álvarez recounted his experience, noting how his companions joined him as the cave erupted with "fluttering wings." He recounted a fall on river rocks, but his knee pain disappeared when he saw the photograph. The D500 proved to be a dream camera, offering a fast autofocus system, 10fps shooting capability, and excellent metering and white balance systems.
The Chilean and Colombian species, the Oilbird, was the location for this remarkable encounter. Taken with a Nikon D500 and Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens, the image received a 1/1250 sec exposure at f/5 and ISO 8000. National judge Sebastian Herzog praised the technical execution and the ability to capture details despite unfavorable lighting.
This photograph stands out for its rare glimpse into the dark home of the enigmatic Oilbird and its contribution to raising awareness of birds' beauty, challenges, and threats in Chile, Colombia, Canada, and the United States.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
