Beach mirror
Laughing gull contemplates its reflection on Daytona Beach, Florida. Lens: Nikkor 300mm f4
Laughing gull contemplates its reflection on Daytona Beach, Florida. Lens: Nikkor 300mm f4
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Feb, 2017Views
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Awards
Winner in Gulls Photo Challenge
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MaryAnne306
October 21, 2017
Amusing photo. Excellent composition and color. Congratulations on your challenge win!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This laughing gull was one of many loitering by the water's edge in Daytona Beach, Florida.Time
According to the exif data it was 22.40, but then my cameras are set to UK time and I never adjust the settings when I'm on the road... Short answer: late afternoon.Lighting
I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to visit Florida a few times in recent years - and swiftly came to appreciate that its natural light is a touch more helpful than anything we usually get in England...Equipment
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 300mm f4, hand-held. If memory serves I knelt down to take the shot as it offered a slightly better perspective.Inspiration
I enjoy photographing pretty much anything, but birds and motorsport seem to fill most of my memory cards. I was in America for a few days to write about (and photograph) local motor racing culture, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona. While there, it made sense to cram as many photographic opportunities as possible into every day - and the aforementioned natural light was a wonderful ally - ditto the diversity of birdlife on the Daytona shoreline.Editing
No PP, other than a slight crop.In my camera bag
Two Nikon bodies - D800 and D700 - plus Nikkor 300mm f4, Sigma 70-200 f2.8, Sigma 105mm f2.8 macro and Sigma 24-105 f4. That apart, I have a few spare batteries and cards and two Storm Jacket rain covers, which work brilliantly and are absolutely essential in the UKFeedback
Keep your eyes open and stay patient. Birds on beaches tend to be accustomed to humans, but will still scatter if you get too close - or if you disturb them by shooting at seven frames per second. Before choosing a spot I sit and watch to see where they congregate, maintain a respectful distance and take one shot at a time to minimise noise. I'm sure most full-frame bodies have a similar function, but the Nikon D800 has a 'crop' mode that amplifies range by 50 per cent. My D700 has a similar feature, but it's fairly useless as everything is always slightly soft. That's not the case with the D800, so the 300 can be converted into a 450mm f4 and the images remain crisp. This might well have been taken in that mode, but the data is always logged as 300mm so it's impossible to be certain.
