Canterbury photographer sharpening her focus

The subtle sign of a fidgeting bird about to poop is all Canterbury photographer Robyn Young needs to sharpen her focus and prepare to capture any movement in the brief seconds that follow.

‘‘Some of the smaller birds can move so fast, so you have to look out for those subtle signs and what usually happens is right after they poop - they move so I can catch them in flight,’’ she says.

From her deck overlooking the wetlands bordering the eastern side of Pegasus township, Robyn can see and photograph many common and sometimes rare birds enjoying what’s on offer there.

‘‘I’ve photographed rare Kotuku-White Herons, Spoonbills, White face Herons, Pied Stilts, many varieties of ducks and even some Terns - which are new visitors this year. There have also been Welcome Swallows, Starlings, Black Bills, and Red Polls, which I understand are very rare here, as they were feasting on the mini Toitoi in the wetlands near my deck.’’

But bird shots are not Robyn’s only passion.

An early riser, she often manages to capture stunning sunrise landscapes from various parts of the township.

‘‘I’m not a fair-weather photographer. I love shooting when it's cloudy, wet or misty, there are always great drama shots to capture then.’’

She posts her bird and scenic photos on various Facebook sites to share her love of photography and Pegasus, attracting many followers.

‘‘One of my bird shots attracted over four thousand views one day, I was pretty stoked with that.’’

A couple of years ago, she took note of the scenic photos shot by viewers being displayed by TV1 as part of their weather reports, and she thought - ‘‘I could do that.’’

The retired medical industry worker has been taking photos since her late teens and knew she had lots of good scenes that matched the work of photographer George Empson of Tekapo, whose work is regularly featured.

‘‘I sent some in and heard nothing back from them, then people started messaging me saying that they had seen them on the TV.’’

‘‘It’s always a lottery if and when your photos get used, some are fleeting while others stay there for 10 -15 seconds. I love seeing them because I know I am sharing them with everybody and promoting Pegasus as well.’’

Using her cellphone camera, and DSLR camera, Robyn has been shooting many activities in and around Pegasus.

Seven years ago, she started producing an annual calendar full of her images of the scenes, birds and people she has photographed there.