Artistic Middle School Student Focuses on Bird Photography

By Guest Blogger Anastasia

I started birding early last year. Ever since then, birding has become one of my favorite things to do. Birds are always doing something interesting. Sometimes they are eating, flying, or singing. It is so wonderful knowing that every time I go birding, I am going to see something different. It could be a different bird, or a new behavior, but I know that it will be new and interesting every time. I enjoy both drawing and crocheting birds, and I just love birds in general. With my love of birds came a love of bird photography. Capturing fleeting moments with the push of a button (or in this case, a click of the shutter button) is super fun for me. With birds, they are literally ...​

here one second and gone the next, so having something to look back on to remember the moment is helpful. 

In the past year, bird photography has become one of my favorite hobbies. It has helped me go outside and spend more time in nature. I also enjoy bird photography because I like to draw birds and drawing from my own photographs is so much more meaningful than just sketching a random picture on the internet. Photographing birds (and the occasional squirrel, rabbit or deer) brings me so much joy. Sometimes I just take “documentary” photos, and for those I don’t worry about composition or lighting. But other times, I am looking to make a statement photo; a photo that conveys a strong message or that artistically showcases the bird.

​I always want to improve, and SFBBO’s photography workshops with Sebastian Kennerknecht really helped me to give my photography an upgrade. I learned about how to underexpose or overexpose images to enhance them. I learned how to compose images to make the message that I wanted to convey more clear. I also learned about some composition rules and when to break them. Focusing is always hard, and thanks to the Focusing Workshop, I now have some more tips on how to get sharp images. My favorite workshop that I attended had to be the Critique Workshop. I have never had anyone give constructive feedback on my photography before, and it was really cool to get personalized feedback on how to improve my photography. I am excited to use what I learned at the workshops to boost my photography. 

I am grateful to Sebastian Kennerknecht for teaching these wonderful workshops. I am so thankful to SFBBO for creating a scholarship program for underrepresented groups. And a HUGE thanks goes to all of the wonderful, kindhearted donors who donated to SFBBO’s scholarship fund. I am blown away at how generous all the donors were, making it possible for me to attend these photography workshops on a scholarship. 

Anastasia is a middle schooler who is currently homeschooled. In addition to birds, she enjoys drawing, crocheting, nature journaling, and other forms of art.