Staubbad im Gegenlicht
A dark bird with a vivid red face and white ear tufts throws itself into the sand during a dust bath. Low backlight turns every airborne grain into a golden spark. Shot at 500 mm in Wolfurt, Austria, the background melts away while the eye stays razor sharp. A fast shutter speed freezes the motion as the sand flies off the plumage. Dust bathing keeps the feathers clean and parasites away, and here it turns into a small, dramatic moment of nature.