Vermillion and Agave
Photographer: Daniel Gomez
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1/640 • f/5.6 • ISO 2500 • Nikon D850 • 500mm • Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6
Vermilion Flycatchers have always been one of my favorite birds, and one of the species that truly hooked me into wildlife photography. One early spring morning, I found a breeding pair near an open field that regularly used agave stalks as perches to land on, after zipping up and down catching insects.
After observing their behavior, I quietly positioned myself behind the agave, waiting for one of the birds to land on a spike. I captured a few portrait-style images and initially thought that was all the scene had to offer. Then it struck me just how unique this moment truly was.
The small window created between the thick agave leaves is something many photographers might pass up in favor of a clean, unobstructed portrait of these stunning, bright-red birds. That moment changed the way I see a scene. Natural framing has fascinated me ever since, and this experience inspired me to actively seek out these kinds of settings whenever I’m out in the field.
