There has been this bird’s nest which was made not too long ago behind my house. Unfortunately, it has been abandoned once the babies were nursed and all grown up. As it was hanging loosely on one of the lime tree’s branch, it fell to the ground one day. My dad had to reattach it back to the branch with a string. It’s been as such since.
I witnessed the initial stages of its construction, which grew from a lump of loosely-put-together dead leaves, twigs and straws of dried grass to its eventual shape of a dried cocoon. The end product resembled a rattan sit-in hanging chair; the likes of those found in verandas.
I shot the above at f/4, 1/200 sec @ ISO 100 zoomed in at 70mm. I perched an umbrella mid-air right above the nest; balancing on some branches to one side, and the window frame on the other. The flash was at 1/4 power fired upwards into the umbrella. I hand held a white card below the nest for fill.
Next, I slotted in a grey card behind the abandoned bird’s nest. Similar settings were used but this time at 1/250 sec and f/5. I needed to hold it still in the wind and hold focus for more definition against a plain background. I hand held a second speedlite at 1/4 power to lower camera right to wash out the background.
Here’s the pullback shot of the simple setup.
It’s amazing to witness and admire the spartan condition of animals’ living space which appears functional and objective to their very basic needs. Despite its raw constructs, the texture and form of this bird’s nest is beautiful.