"I waited for three hours to photograph the moment when I could get the perfect frame of that little bird and its baby along with the flowers"

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Wildlife photographer Mainak Halder tells us about the story behind this shot 'A mother’s care - In the lap of Mother Nature'

A little grebe and her little baby in the water between water flowers, placed in the image centre, image elements get reflected on water surface in a soft manner
(Image credit: Mainak Halder)

After several hours of waiting patiently, award-winning wildlife photographer Mainak Halder captured this special moment, highlighting the little grebe and her baby through a shallow depth of field and a dream-like reflection. He tells us the story behind this shot...

"During the monsoon season of 2022, I was on an expedition at the Purbasthali Bird Sanctuary, West Bengal, India. All of a sudden, I saw a mother little grebe roaming around in the wetland area and carrying her baby on her back. It was an adorable moment.

"I noticed some waterlily flowers in a row where the mother was roaming around with her baby. So I waited for around three hours to capture the moment when I could get the perfect frame of that little bird and the baby along with the flowers. It was all about patience and capturing the perfect moment with precision. Photography is not just taking an image: it’s about making an image. Here, the thought process is most significant and I waited for a long time to create the desired frame according to my previsualization.

"To do this, I had to face several challenges. The little grebe is an extremely shy bird. Therefore, I approached them cautiously so that the mother and the baby would not be disturbed because of my presence. Maintaining a safe distance, I started to submerge myself with my gear ready. As I was in the water-level position, I was able to get a perfect out-of-focus background. When the mother grebe came into my desired frame, I captured the entire scene, including the reflection.

"Minimal changes were required in post-processing. I simply increased the contrast, vibrance and saturation as well as sharpness on the subject. At the same time, I decreased the noise and highlight level. Some basic colour correction was also needed for better results."

Portrait of Mainak Halder
Mainak Halder

Mainak Halder is an award-winning photographer from India who specializes in wildlife and nature photography. His images are notable for bringing wild subjects closer to the viewer, thereby establishing a connection. His work has been published internationally in magazines such as Asian Photography and Smart Photography and has also been featured online by National Geographic, and BBC Earth, among others.

Tech details

(Image credit: Nikon)

Camera: Nikon D7500
Lens: Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Aperture: f/7.2
Shutter speed: 1/1250 sec
ISO: 1000

Image

This article originally appeared in Digital Photographer, a monthly magazine, and the kitbag essential for pros, enthusiasts, and amateurs alike!

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Kim Bunermann
Kim Bunermann
Technique Editor

Kim is the Technique Editor of Digital Photographer Magazine. She specializes in architecture, still life and product photography and has a Master's degree in Photography and Media with a distinction from the FH Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences in Germany. While studying, Kim came to the UK for an exchange term at the London College of Communication. She settled in the UK and began her career path by joining Future. Kim focuses on tutorials and creative techniques, and particularly enjoys interviewing inspiring photographers who concentrate on a range of fascinating subjects including women in photography, the climate crisis; the planet, its precious creatures and the environment.