Twitching and Photography

Lapland Bunting

Lapland Bunting Twitch

This is not an attack on twitching or bird watching but rather to question what is the purpose of photography and what makes a good photograph.   Anyway to set the scene:  a glorious sunny autumn morning on the north Norfolk coast near to the Titchwell RSPB reserve; sea, beach and sky full of different birds and you come across a group of bird watchers and photographers pointing their cameras at a small patch of beach next to the dunes.   Their backs turned to the beauty all around.  Instead they were concentrating on this small patch of beach because there was a rare bird sitting there.   Welcome to the Lapland Bunting twitch.

The bird itself is nothing special ( I mentioned this to one of the volunteers at the reserve and was put in my place as to how beautiful/attractive/worthwhile it was to see the bird.  I don't think he appreciated my comments!)   This started me to consider why people take photographs and what they consider worthwhile and beautiful.  This is the subject of many books and thesis and I don't think this blog would be able even scratch the surface but it did seem strange to me that you would turn your back on the beautiful seascapes to look at some bird that is stranded a long way from home and most likely never to get back there.   I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

For the record I too went over to see the bird and captured the earth shattering image at the start of this blog.   Also for full disclosure I am a proud member of the RSPB and Wild Fowl and Wetland trust.   I love taking photographs of birds - in fact the reason for me being on that beach was in part to do just that. Its just I like to take images of birds doing something interesting rather than just because it is a rare bird.   I  am sure I am missing the point somewhere along the line.