In the last few weeks of 2020, I upgraded my camera gear from a beginner setup I had really outgrown.  Then in 2021, I started to explore new light and compositions which really advanced my wildlife photography.  My intent is to keep working on my shooting and editing skills, and to hopefully share some insights along the way.  Here are some of the wildlife experiences I’ve had in the first month of 2022.

A low light evening pushed my ISO comfortability

Although you can never truly predict what the clouds will do at sunset, I was disappointed with just how cloudy this evening turned out to be.  I expected the clouds to be much thinner, with diffuse sunlight streaking across the beach.  Still, I gave photography a try and had to shoot at ISO levels I normally avoid.  I don’t think there is anything too special about this monochrome Long-billed curlew shot, but I love the way that this small-in-frame Marbled godwit came out.  Something about the clean composition with a wall of water in the background really works for me.

Hummingbirds from my balcony

I had a few relaxing days in which I stayed at home to complete some remote work.  After cleaning my feeder and making a fresh batch to nectar, I waited outdoors and watched the hummingbirds zip around.  It was great to watch them come to different areas of the feeder and sometimes even perch on my balcony’s plants.  I’ve observed one consistent individual that has a few favorite perches behind my balcony.  There is about a 90 minutes where the light hits them and the background just right, although it does start to get a bit dark.  I’m figuring out just how slow I can take my shutter speed before losing detail in their bodies.

A low tide shoot from a kayak

I took my kayak into the mouth of Elkhorn Slough to see the birds different viewpoints.  Free from the limitations of standing onshore, being in a kayak allows you to move and compose anywhere on the water.  Low tides expose a great muddy shelf for shorebirds and wading birds to utilize.  Since the birds are also comfortable with the constant traffic of recreational kayakers, they allow you to approach pretty close as long as you act inconspicuously.  I’ve learned a few tricks in my limited experience of shooting birds from a kayak which I want to share in a future blog post or video.  Shooting from the water allowed me to get these unique photos and many more.  Plus, its a good arm and shoulder workout!

I captured this Eared grebe by holding my lens low over the side of my kayak.

A Double-crested cormorant drying its feathers on a submerged mudflat. Their feathers are less oily than other birds, so they have to fan their wings when they want to dry off.

One of the last birds I photographed was this Great blue heron searching for prey across beds of eelgrass.

Power plant background

With its twin 500’ tall stacks, the Moss Landing power plant is a striking feature that can be seen across the Monterey Bay on a clear day.  Either purposefully or by accident, I’ve never included it in the background of a bird photograph.  So when I saw this Long-billed curlew walking towards the dunes behind me, I immediately changed my composition to capture it against the power plant.  I managed a few different birds in this orientation, but I like how striking the bird looks in this image.  This experience made me think about other ways I can show bird-human interactions.  I’m starting to think that anthropogenic elements aren’t such a bad thing in wildlife photography.

It was a mad dash to stay ahead of the bird and align it with the power plant.  Just one step to the left or right completely changed the composition.

Thank you for exploring my portfolio and blog.  Please reach out to me if you have questions or comments about any of these photos.