It was golden hour during peak bird season in Morro Bay, California. Every January, Morro Bay hosts a bird festival every year to celebrate the fact that it is a common pitstop for many birds on their migratory journey.

I had been wandering around for an hour, golden hour was almost over, and I hadn’t been able to find my shot. I was on my way back to my car - energized by the opportunity, but a little disappointed at the outcome. All of the sudden I looked ahead, and there was my photo - a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher sitting perfectly on a tall thin branch with the golden sun illuminating the scene.

This was it.

I live in Los Angeles, and while it is a huge city with a lot of opportunity, it also has a lot of cement and not much grass. Growing up in a midwest suburb, I had never lived in a city before, and I didn’t notice what I had until I didn’t have it anymore.

I suddenly had this yearn for nature but was unsure how to fulfill it. I would honestly just go sit at the park because I was craving it in a way that was overwhelming me. Then, I spent some time thinking about why I was craving it, what part of it was most meaningful to me, and how I could best interact with it.

What was pushing this desire? The wildlife. The purity of nature and animal instinct. The uncorrupted honesty of living and learning to survive in nature as an animal. I started to crave not just watching these animals, but being in their presence, observing them, and learning from them. So, I picked up my husband’s 8-year-old SONY a7ii, drove to that same neighborhood park, and started taking photos of the birds. 

The spiritual interpretations of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers are hope and change. I want to begin to push for change in our awareness of conservation efforts and how we care for the awe-inspiring wildlife that live alongside us on this earth, and I hope to do that through photography.

Like I said, I am only about 6 months into my decision to take on wildlife photography, but I am ready, I am excited, and I am thankful to share my work with others who might be inspired to make the same change.

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Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher in Morro Bay, California.

Photos taken on a SONY a7riv with a SONY 200-600mm lens and edited in Lightroom.