|
|
Head TurnerElegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans), Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, California, May 25, 2009, 6:19 pm, by Andy Nguyen
Published: August 21, 2009  Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans), by Andy Nguyen
After flying with bills pointed down, scanning the water for prey, they plunge, piercing the waves. Then, after submerging briefly, they rise into the air again. Before they can resume flying efficiently, they need to shake excess water from their feathers.
To make a photo of a tern doing that, Nguyen sat only inches above the water at California's Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Supporting the weight of his camera and lens with his left arm, he waited as both Elegant and Royal Terns dove into the water, sometimes feet from his camera, hoping to capture the water-shaking before the terns flew too high.
The resulting shot is a marvel of stop-action photography. Nguyen's point of focus? The position of the head and the circular motion created by the droplets. |
Equipment used
Camera: Nikon D300, handheld
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4
Settings: ISO 200, 1/4000s, f/5.6
Exposure Comp: -1/3 EV
Light: High overcast, no flash
Exposure mode: manual
Format: JPEG Fine (L)
Adjustments: Brightness -13, in-camera sharpening with unsharp mask applied to 25%, radius 2, threshold 0, crop by 50%, Adobe Photoshop CS4 |
Meet the photographer
TERN SHOOTER: Tern photographer Andy Nguyen, shown here peering through a Nikon 200-400mm f/4 lens, different from the Nikkor lens he used at the Bolsa Chica reserve, has been a member of our Bird Photography forum since February 2009. He and his wife Hanh are freelance nature photographers. In fact, her photo of White Ibises was a Photo of the Week winner in February 2009. The Nguyens live in Midway City, California. |
|
Not a registered member? It's free to sign up.
See great photos of birds, get birdwatching tips, learn about birding events, and more!
|