We saw a wonderfully playful pod of Dusky Dolphins on our whale watch cruise in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Captured this one in mid-air!...
Read more
We saw a wonderfully playful pod of Dusky Dolphins on our whale watch cruise in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Captured this one in mid-air!
Read less
Read less
Views
2687
Likes
Awards
Member Selection Award
Winner in Dolphins Photo Challenge
Spring Selection Award
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Love it
Top Ranks
Categories
FeatherstonePhotography
April 28, 2016
Thank you View Bug for giving me a special SPRING AWARD TODAY!!
MaryMulholland
October 21, 2016
Wow that is an awesome shot and well deserved of Awards. Congratulations :)
FeatherstonePhotography
October 21, 2016
Thank you so much everyone - it is because of you that I found out about the award!!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
Kaikoura, New ZealandTime
Probably early afternoon on a very cloudy and cool day. We were out on a whale watching expedition and had already seen a humpback after waiting a long time, which was really exciting. On the way back to the marina we were suddenly surrounded by a pod of dusky dolphins that put on a delightful and joyful display of leaping and diving much to everyone's delight. I went to sports mode and just kept taking lot of photographs and this one came out the best.Fast shutter speed, Canon Rebel xt3i with telephoto lens and no tripod.Lighting
Actually, I really love cloudy days for this kind of shooting as it is easier to get definition, saturation, and no harsh shadows.I prefer shooting in natural light. Sometimes I use a polarizer on very bright days - but here just the protective UV filter.Equipment
Canon Rebel Xt3i, telephoto lens, no tripod and no flash. Sports mode.Inspiration
Excitement and joy and a deep love of nature - especially dolphins in their natural habitat.Editing
I use LightRoom for processing. I cropped this image and used a little sharpening and color enhancement - I use the minimum processing if possible and I do not have Photoshop. Except in certain circumstances or wanting to change an image drastically, I try to keep my images as natural as possible.In my camera bag
2 Canon bodies - 7D (mostly I use this for still life) and Rebel xt5i (lighter and good for sports etc.), 18-135mm, 10-18mm, 75-300mm, extra batteries, extra sd cards, lens hoods, filters (uv, polarizer), cleaning kit, tripod, battery chargers.Feedback
Plan ahead - weather changes quite a lot in New Zealand so be prepared for sun, rain or clouds. Obviously when trying to capture rapidly moving objects (like the dolphin) use a fast shutter speed and take lots of images if you want them sharp. I delete a large portion of my images, which is the beauty of digital, and only keep the very best...so have spare cards so you do not run out of space and miss that special moment!