GaryWilliamsImagery
FollowImage of the end of Pier in Blackpool during sunset that caught a murmuration of Starlings
Image of the end of Pier in Blackpool during sunset that caught a murmuration of Starlings
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken on a cold November evening in Blackpool, North West England.Time
This was taken just as the sun began to set over the water,Lighting
I was lucky that it was sunset as this gave the image a soft warm glow, without being too saturated, which helped in getting a good balance of light and dark without any overly over or underexposed areas.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7200 set on manual, that was fitted with a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro. This was placed on a Manfrotto 055 tripod.Inspiration
I had gone with friends with the plan to take images of the illuminations that Blackpool is known for having on during the late autumn early winter. We got there before the sun went down so we could scout out some positions for capturing images once the sun had set. Whilst doing this i noticed behind me a murmuration (the gathering of starlings) flying just over the water from south to north, which is a sight i had seen in the past growing up and was amazed by, but had never had the opportunity to capture. So i took the chance being offered and was able to grab several images.Editing
The post processing was carried out in ON1 and consisted of a slight crop and auto lens correction, together with a minimal bit of noise reduction and sharpening.In my camera bag
I am probably more of a pack rat than someone who always takes the minimum. I always make sure that beside the camera and lens i have in my bag i have spare memory cards and batteries, together with camera cover for wet weather and several lens cloths. I also carry a tool that i can use to tighten anything such as L-bracket or tripod. I also carry a shutter release cable in case their is an opportunity of taking some long exposures.Feedback
I think that it is always worthwhile getting to your location earlier than you need to if possible, and whilst looking in front of you for that great composition or deciding what lens etc to select try and be aware on your surroundings. Look around, look up and that way if you see something interesting is about to happen you will have a better chance to capture it. In this case i went to get images of Blackpool illuminations and ended up with this image which was my pick of the day.