Shoreline Sanctuary
A shore bird is reflected in the still waters as it wades in the shallows near San Francisco Bay, California
A shore bird is reflected in the still waters as it wades in the shallows near San Francisco Bay, California
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Jun, 2015Views
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Awards
Winner in Wetland Wildlife Photo Challenge
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Behind The Lens
Location
The very southern end of San Francisco Bay is a marshy wetland area that is also a dedicated bird sanctuary. Shore birds can often be found wading in the shallows.Time
This photo was taken in the early afternoon on a warm, late January day. We were lucky that there was no breeze so the water was absolutely still, creating this beautiful reflection of the bird.Lighting
Usually shooting photos in mid day is not the best time as the lighting can be harsh. But in this case it worked to help create the almost mirror-like reflection.Equipment
At the time this photo was taken I was using a Nikon D2X camera with a Nikkor 80-200mm zoom lens.Inspiration
Since we live close to this area, we decided to go and see what we could find and shoot a few photos. We were pleasantly surprised that there were birds wading in the still waters creating these wonderful reflections. We needed no other inspiration than that!Editing
Since these wetlands are very shallow they also tend to be very muddy...so even though very reflective, the water wasn't particularly colorful and did nothing to enhance the bird. I used a little creative license and layered a background texture behind the bird and blended it into the ripple and its reflection to create this misty, almost surreal scene.In my camera bag
Since taking this photo I have upgraded to a Nikon D750 full frame camera with a Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens. My additional lens is a Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 zoom. I always have 2 64gb memory cards in my camera with a 32gb spare in the bag. Additionally, I always carry a spare battery, UV and polarizing filters for both lenses, a Tiffen ND filter, a lightweight carbon fiber tripod, a battery charger and lens cleaner and cloths.Feedback
Usually the best time of day to capture a scene with still water is in the morning. Of course it always helps to have no wind! If trying to photograph birds, it's essential to have a good zoom lens and a lot of patience!
