UK wildlife photographer Carl Bovis has built a following of hundreds of thousands by sharing charming, high-quality bird photography. So when a photo of a rain-soaked woodpigeon mid-preen got him blocked by an offended stranger, the resulting exchange turned into one of the stranger moments of his career.
“Do You Even Like the Subject of Your Pics?”
A woman identifying herself as a former New York attorney, Regina Alberty, told Bovis she was blocking him over the image, implying he had deliberately made the woodpigeon look unflattering because he disliked the bird. “Usually photographers try to take pictures that favor the subject. Do you even like the subject of your pics?” she wrote, before adding that she didn’t want a response, since she’d be blocking him regardless.
Bovis, based in Somerset in the UK, took it in stride. “I’m usually quite sensitive to criticism but I found that hilarious!” he said. He’d posted the photo fully expecting his regular followers to find it amusing, he explained, “but I didn’t quite expect the reaction it got.”
What made the exchange even stranger, Bovis noted, was that Alberty didn’t follow him at all. “Regina didn’t even follow me, but was so offended by my harmless woodpigeon in the rain that she had to block me, and made sure I knew why!”
The Internet Had Thoughts
The exchange quickly drew a wave of comic replies from other users defending Bovis. Among his favorites: “I didn’t even get that testy after I saw my own passport photo,” and “Yeah, the pigeon can’t use that on Tinder! What a worthless photoshoot.”
Some followers even began requesting more “offensive pigeon” content, and Bovis has since sold prints capitalizing on the attention the image received.
Not His First Strange Exchange
As odd as the woodpigeon incident was, Bovis said it might not even be his strangest fan interaction. “One woman once insisted that all my birds in flight photos were dead, and ‘posed’ in mid-air by string… that was strange, but I don’t think she blocked me!”
How a Hobby Became a Following
Bovis’s interest in bird photography dates back to 2006, when he bought his first DSLR, a Nikon D50, mainly to document what he’d seen in the field. He began posting images on the now-defunct photo-sharing site Fotothing, where he found early success. “I got very popular there, but the site started to go downhill when other bigger rivals started appearing, such as Flickr and Facebook.”
He eventually moved his focus to Twitter after joining in 2015, which remains where most of his audience follows his work today. His current setup is a Nikon Z9 paired with a Nikon Z 180-600mm lens, which he typically uses hand-held while out in the field.
The Story Behind the Photo
The viral woodpigeon shot wasn’t taken on some remote nature expedition. Bovis photographs much of his garden wildlife, including this image, from his bathroom window at home, which he says offers the best vantage point.
The pigeon wasn’t singing or cooing, despite how the image looked. “The pigeon was actually having a bit of a preen in the rain,” Bovis explained. “This is a good time to get unusual angles and poses as the birds shake their feathers and stretch to reach different areas of their plumage.” He caught the moment using a fast shutter speed, 1/500 sec at f/6.3, freezing the bird mid-shake in a pose that, out of context, looked a lot like song.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the woman block Carl Bovis over the photo?
She implied the unflattering angle suggested the photographer didn’t like woodpigeons, a claim Bovis and his followers found amusing given the image simply captured the bird mid-preen rather than any deliberate attempt to make it look bad.
What is Carl Bovis known for in photography?
He’s a UK-based wildlife photographer known for charismatic, high-quality bird photography, with a large social media following and published photo books.
Can viral moments like this actually help a photographer’s career?
Yes. Bovis noted he gained more followers from the exchange than he lost, and has since sold prints of the image, showing how unexpected online attention can translate into real engagement and sales.
What camera equipment does Carl Bovis currently use?
A Nikon Z9 paired with a Nikon Z 180-600mm lens, which he typically shoots hand-held.
Source: Digital Camera World, citing an original interview with photographer Carl Bovis.
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