Adventures from Behind the Glass

Indian Blue Peacock, Profile, Davie, FL 2012

As rare and beautiful as a White Peacock is (see last post), to me there is nothing more spectacular than a perfect specimen of  the more common, male, Indian Blue.

The best time to photograph them is during mating season when they are showing off their magnificent plumage to the far less colorful females. Upon spotting a potential mate, the males back up toward the females, spread their feathers and shake them rapidly, as if vibrating (no pun intended).

To capture the brilliant colors of this creature, the best light is not bright sunlight, but cloudy or overcast lighting that brings out the richness of the blues and greens. Here I used depth of field to separate the two sides of feathers from the neon blue neck, creating a unique and interesting composition.

So, when it comes to photographing passionate Peacocks on a cloudy day, I am clearly a …fan.