Like many people while in quarantine during the pandemic, I found myself discovering a new love of watching birds. Every day stuck inside meant settling in with a book in front of the largest windows of our house to watch the new bird feeder I purchased. Sometimes I even sat on the porch with my morning coffee to watch my usual show of finches and woodpeckers bickering over the birdseed I sat out.

Unsplash/Mark Timberlake
Unsplash/Mark Timberlake
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I must admit, I underestimated how fascinating Indiana birds are. From their beautiful colors to their adorable yet interesting mannerisms, there is a lot to discover of the birds that are native to the southern Indiana area.

Southern Indiana Photographer Showcases Hoosier Birds

If there is one thing that I have learned from my time spent watching the birds outside of my window, it's that they rarely sit still long. From flying to scurrying to fighting with friends and enemies or splashing around in a birdbath, birds are constantly in motion. It's their active nature that could make them a little tricky to photograph.

Southern Indiana photographer, Ron Harper, makes catching the perfect pictures of our feathered friends look easy as pie. One look at the photos he shares in the Evansville Area Birding group on Facebook will have you asking yourself, "how the heck did he get that shot?"

Ron Harper
Ron Harper
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Harper manages to capture the vivid colors and characteristics of birds such as woodpeckers, blue jays, and finches. He even catches birds in mid-flight, sharing astonishing shots that show the magnificence of birds right in action.

Photo by Ron Harper Blue Jay fly by Southwest Indiana 2/4/23
Photo by Ron Harper
Blue Jay fly by Southwest Indiana 2/4/23
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Photo by Ron Harper Blue jay and a starling Starling is getting told Southwest Indiana 12/28/22
Photo by Ron Harper
Blue jay and a starling Starling is getting told Southwest Indiana 12/28/22
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His favorite places to photograph birds are Hoveylake Fishing and Wildlife Area, Harmonie State Park, Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area, and Howell Wetlands. Harper's love of wildlife and the outdoors led him to photography.

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"I have always enjoyed outdoors and wildlife. I always loved cameras and photography, but never had the time." Harper said. "I finally bought a used digital camera that was about 4 years old and taught myself how to use it."

Red bellied woodpecker southwest Indiana 5/14/22
Red bellied woodpecker southwest Indiana 5/14/22
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There's no doubt that Harper's photos will inspire you to buy a camera to capture photos of your own.

How to Take Your Own Amazing Bird Photos

If you feel inspired to try out bird photography yourself, here are some tips from The National Audobon Society, a national organization dedicated to the advocacy and education of the public about bird conservation.

1. Choose exactly what you want to photograph and isolate it from anything that can distract from it like too many surrounding birds or wild branches and grasses.

2. Experiment with different angles and interesting behaviors in order to capture something original rather than replicate a photo that you like.

3. Understand bird behavior to better predict how they will move.

4. Don't chase them.

5. Take photos at sunrise or before sunset to have the best lighting.

6. Pay special attention to camera settings such as exposure and shutter speed. It is best to shoot in manual or aperture-priority mode.

7. Take photos of subjects that you love!

Before you know it, you'll have your own photos to share in the Evansville Area Birding Group. To see more of Harper's work, check out the gallery below!

Southern Indiana Photographer Captures Hoosier Birds

Southern Indiana Photographer, Ron Harper, captures photographs of native birds that are both stunning and almost magical. His photographs showcase the natural beauty of the birds in our neck of the woods. From action shots in midflight to beautiful portraits, these photos will give you a new appreciation for the feathered wildlife in Indiana.

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