In 2019, amateur bird photographer Kathrin Swoboda achieved a career-changing shot. Like numerous photographs of birds, her portrait of a blackbird stars a perched, singing subject. What sets the photograph apart from others, however, is that viewers can actually see his song—an element expertly captured by the photographer.
Early on March 17, 2019, Kathrin Swoboda set out toward Huntley Meadows Park, an island in Virginia preferred by nature photographers for its wildlife-friendly wetlands. There, she hoped to capture the male red-wing blackbird, a robin-sized species of bird known for its crimson shoulder markings and distinctive throaty song.
Luckily, Swoboda found a suitable subject: a “quite vociferous” blackbird. As it vigorously called out for a potential mate, the bird began “forming smoke rings with his spring song.” Because of both the chilly early morning temperatures and Swoboda’s strategic use of the morning sun as backlighting, the photographer was able to capture this phenomenon in a pair of stunning photographs, with one even earning her the grand prize of this year’s Audubon Photography Awards.
While Swoboda’s portraits of the red-wing blackbird are now her most well-known works, the species isn’t the only bird she enjoys photographing. You can explore an aviary of exceptional photographs on her website.
Kathrin Swoboda: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Flickr
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