Jim Fenton
09-30-2008, 06:15 PM
While photographing terns in the breeding colony this summer, I noted that as the tide receded, dowitchers would fly out from behind the dunes, where they obviously had been roosting during the day....something I hadn't seem them do before. Therefore, I of course wanted to capture one in flight as it emerged in front of the dune grasses. It didn't happen the first day :)
The next afternoon, I set up to wait and as I waited, the wind picked up rather briskly from the northeast...perfect to slow my intended subjects down a hair. After much waiting and watching thousands of terns that tempted me to work them instead, a single bird emerged right where I had hoped it would, with the early evening long rays of the sun on it.
The bird was a bit more distant than I would have hoped as I had backed away a bit, but I was still happy that the plan had come together.
Nikon D300, 500 AFS VR, f 4, ISO 400, I/3200, CW metering with -.7 EV compensation, NearUniWB preset.
51 point dynamic AF, center reticule hot, Lock-On set to short.
The next afternoon, I set up to wait and as I waited, the wind picked up rather briskly from the northeast...perfect to slow my intended subjects down a hair. After much waiting and watching thousands of terns that tempted me to work them instead, a single bird emerged right where I had hoped it would, with the early evening long rays of the sun on it.
The bird was a bit more distant than I would have hoped as I had backed away a bit, but I was still happy that the plan had come together.
Nikon D300, 500 AFS VR, f 4, ISO 400, I/3200, CW metering with -.7 EV compensation, NearUniWB preset.
51 point dynamic AF, center reticule hot, Lock-On set to short.