Orca in Kitoi Bay
Killer Whale in Kitoi Bay, Alaska
Killer Whale in Kitoi Bay, Alaska
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Aug, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in Kitoi Bay on Afognak Island, Alaska. This was our last day in Alaska. We had planned to go fishing, and as we were getting ready to leave, we got the call that orcas were in the bay.Time
This was taken mid-morning. Conditions were rough, and the whales were fast. We were cutting through 4-5 foot swells as we followed the whales along the coast. Getting shots were all about timing.Lighting
Lighting was great for the most part. Due to conditions, I had to use a fast shutter. It was partly cloudy so lighting changed all morning. I got the settings close enough to get a good exposure with any shot knowing I could adjust in post processing.Equipment
I used my Nikon D5300. This was my first dlsr, and I've been shooting with it for a couple years now. I've gotten quite comfortable with its abilities and functions. The lens was a Nikon 55-300 4.5-5.6. Conditions were quite rough and we were crashing through waves often on a small center console boat. I kept my focal length around 200 because hunting for them at 300 was almost impossible from a moving, bobbing boat. I kept my setup in a gallon Ziploc to protect it from water spray from the waves. When the opportunity arose, I would take my camera out to snap as many photos as possible before water crashed over use again.Inspiration
This was our last day in Alaska. We hadn't seen orcas in the week we were there. We got a call they were in the bay and we went searching for them. After 45 minutes of searching, we gave up and resolved to go fishing that day. On our way out to a point off the coast, we got the call that they showed up. We turned around and were able to find them. We were able to follow them out of the bay for about 30 minutes as they fed along the coast.Editing
My exposure was likely slightly off due to the conditions. I had my camera setup to get a decent exposure but I didn't want to mess with settings when there's seconds to get a shot before they disappear again. My usual post-processing is bumping contrast and adjusting shadows, whites, and blacks. I then add a little clarity, vibrance, and saturation to bring the photo to life. This photo is then cropped to get composition I liked (shooting wider than normal to ensure I got the whales in frame while shooting from a moving boat).In my camera bag
I always have multiple memory cards and batteries. I like to think I can take one or two lenses for a shoot and be happy but that usually ends up not being the case and I pack all 4 lenses I have (35 1.8, 18-140 kit lens, 85 macro, and 55-300). I only have the one body (Nikon D5300), but I do often have my Olympus Tough series point-and-shoot and GoPro Hero 3+ with me. On this particular day, I only brought my long lens because I knew I would only be shooting whales.Feedback
Take as many shots a possible. Try to preset your focus to where you anticipate the whales to be. Don't be afraid to shoot wider and crop later. Shooting whales (especially orcas) turned out to be a difficult task. They were above water for maybe a second before they were back under. It was alot of guesswork as to where they would surface again. If weather conditions were better, maybe it would have been easier, but you have to work with what you have. Most importantly, don't forget to enjoy the experience. Don't view something as amazing as whale watching only through the eye of a camera.
