Imperial Cormorants in the Beagle Channel, Argentina
Sep, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken as I cruised the Beagle Chanel in Patagonia. The day was utterly magical with clear blue skies framed by the jagged peaks of the Andes. I have been taking photos since my father bought me my first instamatic camera when I was about 8 years old. I am a keen amateur and love travelling with my cameras.Time
We left early in the day as these Imperial Cormorants were fishing for breakfast before returning to their nesting sites on the small islands we passed. I moved down from the top sightseeing deck of the small catamaran to be nearer the water level. I left the camera on Programme setting as there was no time to take a considered shot when opportunities like this appeared.Lighting
Fortunately the sun was behind me throwing light on the birds.Equipment
It was shot handheld on a Nikon 5200 using a 18-105mm zoom lens.Inspiration
The scenery speaks for itself but the flying birds added scale and a focal point.Editing
Very little post-processing aside from adjusting the histogram to give added contrast. The perfect blues were supplied by nature!In my camera bag
When travelling I try and keep it as light as possible - my Nikon DSLR (now upgraded to the 5500), 10-24mm, 18-105mm and 55-300mm lenses. I also carry a Panasonic Lumix TZ60 for unobtrusive city shooting.Feedback
For trying to take good photos on organised tours, I try and either keep ahead of the others so my shots are clear of tourists or trail behind a little. I enjoy journalistic street photography as much as landscape work but you need to develop an eye for what will make an interesting photo - there often isn't time to set it up. The joy of digital is that you can take many more photos then you will eventually keep and with practice there should be at least one or two gems among them.
