osprey
an osprey and his catch. I was on the beach and happened to see him flying overhead with a fish .caught in the ocean.
an osprey and his catch. I was on the beach and happened to see him flying overhead with a fish .caught in the ocean.
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Mar, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was on the beach at Folly Beach, South Carolina.Time
It was early afternoon.Lighting
It was bright, harsh overhead light with no cloud cover to soften it.Equipment
I had a Nikon D3300 camera and 70/300 mm lens set on aperture priority.Inspiration
It was a split-second decision. I saw the osprey carrying its prey off the ocean toward me and instantly knew it was a moment I wanted to capture.Editing
Yes, because of the bright sky and the way my camera was metering the light much of the osprey part of the image was hidden in shadow. In Lightroom, I used the shadow sliders to lighten-up the osprey silhouette and make the picture come to life. I further enhanced the image using the clarity, contrast and exposure sliders. byIn my camera bag
I carry a Nikon D7200 and 18/300 mm lens at a bare minimum. It works pretty well for capturing wildlife in motion. For landscapes, when I have more time to think-through a shot, I carry a backpack with lenses of several different focal lengths, a tripod and remote release.Feedback
Be ready at a moment's notice to quickly capture an image. I was not intending to capture images of ospreys on that day but was instead out for a few hours of leisurely beach photography. Since then I've become much more aware of ospreys and their feeding habits and where they can be found. For me, it was immediately realizing the opportunity and fortunately being able to take advantage of it because my camera was already set to accommodate the light. So I'd say it's a mix of being in the right place at the right time, awareness and preparation. Learning animal behavior over time increases the odds. Ospreys tend to feed over the ocean early in the morning but that is not always the case. Other ocean birds follow similar patterns. Learn how your camera handles birds in flight and what f/stop, shutter speed and lens is best for capturing the action. A zoom works for me.
