Seal Bobbing
Apr, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary, Lincolnshire, UK. I enjoyed it here as the surroundings look quite natural. No bright blue painted pools.Time
This image was taken mid afternoon on a miserable British summers day. i remember thinking that it was unlikely i would get any photographs when i saw the weather that morning.Lighting
Due to the poor weather this was a totally opportunistic shot. When i took it i didnt consider the lighting as it was really for a memory of a day out not a shot i thought i would be sharingEquipment
i have been taking photographs for nearly 2 years now on my first and only dslr which is a Nikon D5100. This shot was taken with the nikon 55-300mm lens at 300mm f6.3 1/125sec with iso at 400.Inspiration
My favorite place to visit (not for photographic reasons) is another seal Sanctuary in nearby Skegness so when i found there was another about 8 miles away i had to investigate. In general animals fascinate me so being able to photograph them too really adds to the experience.Editing
A very small amount of post processing was completed in Lightroom. The water and surrounds in the original were naturally too green so i tamed this down to keep the Seal the centre of attention.In my camera bag
Obviously my D5100 and 55-300mm lens firstly. I have just bought a 18-200mm 3.5 Tamrom Lens for a all round walkabout. I have a Samyang 8mm Fisheye lens that never leaves my bag and a couple of spare batteries and cards. i rarely carry a tripod as i find them a pain but do carry a bean bag pod support. i always carry a plastic bag for changing lenses in, shutter release cable and ibuprofen. The most useful thing i carry however is a multi mat, which is a bit of a hiking thing but its a fold out mat that i use to kneel on to keep my knees clean!Feedback
Dont be afraid of capturing animal shots in sanctuaries as these are great places to practice and the entry fee helps them. Try to make your shots look as if they have been taken in a natural or open environment. If you are a newcomer to photography trying to capture wildlife in its natural environment can be difficult, time consuming and cold! Practising in a sanctuary will help you to familiarise yourself with the settings you want out in the wild. Learn how to open up aperture to blur out cage and fencing.
