Flamingos are social creatures with one another, says photographer Melissa Cormican, who made this photo of a Chilean flamingo at the Los Angeles Zoo. And she’s also noticed they take an interest in her, making eye contact as she captures their photographs. “I am endlessly fascinated with what they may be thinking when their gaze is on me,” she says.
Cormican made this photo with a Nikon D750 and AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR lens. She finds that outside distractions can be a hindrance while she’s making photographs. “To concentrate, I put on my headphones, shuffle my playlist, and essentially disappear into my own world where it is just me and the animal I am photographing. Everything and everyone else disappear. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of music in my work.”
Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.
Tags: wildlife photography
