One of the biggest challenge with wildlife photography that most people don’t seem to understand is that we get skunked, A LOT. It just the way that things pan out. Birds, and all critters for that matter, have a natural tendency to not show up for their own photo shoot. Hey they aren’t getting paid so why should they have to put up with us photographers. It’s quite common to get a local and not have the subjects as we experienced this morning. It is a hard lesson that the group wasn’t thrilled over but an important one. Afternoon shooting was better. Besides the wind that picked up, which wasn’t bad as far keeping the subjects away it just had an odd chill. The Afternoon brought out the use of our panning plates. You can read up all about them on Dad’s blog, but basically its a flat plate that can go on the ground and a lens can attach to it, we use a Frisbee to keep things clean. As we worked the beach, Chris and i found this guy. A Ring-billed Gull in great plumage. Naturally we just worked him, and like most gulls on a beach he kept getting closer which meant more head shots. It’s alright he had the head for it. The light faded out pretty fast that afternoon and the subjects weren’t in there usual laughing mood as there name implies so we headed on home for an early retirement.
Images captured with D3, 600f4, Tc-14e, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film