06 Dec 2022

Jen's Top 22 Birds of 2022

By: Looking Glass Comments: 8

Hello friends - Jen from Looking Glass here. I am very excited to share my latest obsession with you: Photographing birds. I made the below compilation this week, and believe me - it was VERY hard to limit it to just 22 from the year 2022. It's a collection that I feel lucky to have made, with many of them coming from incredible travels to areas including Uganda, Bolivia, and California locations. On the note of travel, Nikon Ambassador Kristi Odom and I are teaching a Bird Photography Workshop in Ecuador (March 2023). We only have two spots left! So grab your spot today if you're interested in joining us on this Epic Photo Escape. For all the details, click here.

Truth be told, I have loved taking pictures of birds for the last few years. It truly became an obsession when I acquired new gear that is better suited for the task (or perhaps I should call it a labor of love; photographing birds can be an exercise in patience). Anyway, the right gear changed everything. I suddenly had the ability to get the shots I hoped to achieve almost EVERY single time an avian subject caught my eye. These moments often happen very fast. If you're curious, I have listed the gear I have been using (cameras, lenses, accessories) at the end of this post.

One unforeseen challenge - and this is a good problem to have - is how can I possibly narrow down so many images I love to just 22? While I managed to do this for this post, I unofficially have over 150 that I'm "filing" as favorites. LOL. If you'd like to see the Top 100, check out the big bird gallery on my website :)

Two items of note before the pictures:

I love photographing hummingbirds, but I have a really tough time identifying them, hence "probably" as part of the ID. (feel free to offer an assist if you are an avid birder with certainty about an ID I may have missed)
If you're curious about the gear I used we included a handy list at the end! Obviously it's all stuff that I can highly recommend, since it's exactly what I used to get these pictures that make me so happy.

I hope you enjoy these birds, as seen through my lens.