Sunday reflection

With all the recent rain, most pond levels are higher than normal, attracting more than their fair share of water birds including the local seagulls who are usually found congregating along the coastal shoreline.  

It was nice to get a chance to observe the gulls away from the pounding of ocean waves. And to me, they seemed more relaxed in this serene, fresh water environment.

“Seeing Double” (Seagull with Reflection) Nikon D300, 340mm (80-200mm w/1.4x teleconverter), F/16, 1/400s, -0.7EV, ISO 400

I was able to get pretty close to the group and was delighted to see this very colorful gull enjoying a leisurely swim. With only a slight breeze to ruffle the surface, the bird’s bright colors were beautifully reflected in the dark water.  

A perfect cap to a really lovely day!

Gun shy

“Lamplighter” (Seagull on Lamp Post) Nikon D300, 170mm, F/9, 1/800s, -0.7EV, ISO 200

 
 
Put a bird in front of me and I will shoot it!

Er, ummmm, that didn’t come out quite right, but you know what I mean…

East meets west

One of the most prominent structures at Epcot’s World Showcase Lagoon is the bright red Torii gate which welcomes visitors to the Japan pavilion.  The Epcot version is based upon the Torii Gate found in the Hiroshima Bay at Itsukushima.

“The Torii” (Torii Gate, Japan Pavillion, EPCoT) Nikon D300, 52mm, F/16, 1/200s, -1.0EV, ISO 200

Hmmm, seems the seagulls like the gate as much as I do!

Serendipity

“Scout” (Seagull) Nikon D300, 550mm (200-400mm w/1.4x teleconverter), F/10, 1/320s, -0.7EV, ISO 640

 
As I was leaving the beach on that bitter day last week, I stopped to snap a few shots of a seagull who was very intently watching the water. It was so cold that my fingers could barely work the shutter and I figured the images would be useless.

Believe or not, I shot this in color, vivid color, but since the sun had tucked behind a cloud, all the tones were instantly muted. And if I had thought anything about it at the time (and I wasn’t so damn cold), I certainly would have made certain my horizontals were indeed horizontal! 

But seeing how the angles play off each other, now I’m glad I didn’t!