Acorn Woodpecker
I discovered the Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) while scouting the moss-covered trunks at La Minga Ecolodge in Dapa, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. She held steady on a weathered branch, her vivid red cap and contrasting black-and-white plumage sharply outlined against the soft green understory. The mist-laden silence of the cloud forest allowed me to observe her alert posture and the intricate barring along her flanks before I raised the camera.
Technically, I had my EOS R5 configured for hummingbird action at ISO 800 and a blistering 1/4000 sec shutter speed when this woodpecker suddenly appeared. I fired instinctively, without time to tweak settings, and was pleased to find that the fast exposure beautifully froze her subtle head movements while retaining fine detail in shadowed bark. Framing her off-center with a narrow depth of field rendered the background into creamy bokeh, emphasizing the texture of both feathers and wood. This image underscores the value of readiness and adaptability in the field—sometimes the best shots come when you’re not thinking about settings at all.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer
Acorn Woodpecker
I discovered the Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) while scouting the moss-covered trunks at La Minga Ecolodge in Dapa, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. She held steady on a weathered branch, her vivid red cap and contrasting black-and-white plumage sharply outlined against the soft green understory. The mist-laden silence of the cloud forest allowed me to observe her alert posture and the intricate barring along her flanks before I raised the camera.
Technically, I had my EOS R5 configured for hummingbird action at ISO 800 and a blistering 1/4000 sec shutter speed when this woodpecker suddenly appeared. I fired instinctively, without time to tweak settings, and was pleased to find that the fast exposure beautifully froze her subtle head movements while retaining fine detail in shadowed bark. Framing her off-center with a narrow depth of field rendered the background into creamy bokeh, emphasizing the texture of both feathers and wood. This image underscores the value of readiness and adaptability in the field—sometimes the best shots come when you’re not thinking about settings at all.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer