Birds at the Beach

[Hooligans Imagery]

Ok I am very new, like two times, to shooting birds at the beach. I was just in Santa Barbara and La Jolla Cove. My question for this thread is how does one deal with the harsh light of the sun. Even pelicans with Highlight weighted metering had whites blown on the beaks and elsewhere. Is the answer come another day? I feel if I had compensated even more the shadows would be so dark. I did manage what I thought were some decent shots. Looking for coaching though.

Shy Pelican


In Flight

Couple of Gulls - one coming in to the Cove and the other posing on the SB beach

An early morning Whimbrel

And one no bird but enjoyed the action

 

[ssheipel]

From these shots I'd say you've dealt with the full sun very, very well.! Me, I usually stop shooting once the sun gets too high in the sky

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

From these shots I'd say you've dealt with the full sun very, very well.! Me, I usually stop shooting once the sun gets too high in the sky

So you feel that full sun is just too bright to be worth the effort? These were out of quite a few images. Most had some form of blown highlights even if I got the composition and focus correct.

 

[Braxton L]

I quite like the composition of the first photo, and everything technically looks spot on. Nice!

The second photo is nice, but I really wish you hadn’t clipped the wingtips. It takes away from the photo IMO.

The gulls are really nice, but for the second one I’d have the bird more left in the frame.

Your whimbrel is actually a Long-billed Curlew. Really nice shot, although I wish there was more eye contact.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

I quite like the composition of the first photo, and everything technically looks spot on. Nice!

The second photo is nice, but I really wish you hadn’t clipped the wingtips. It takes away from the photo IMO.

The gulls are really nice, but for the second one I’d have the bird more left in the frame.

Your whimbrel is actually a Long-billed Curlew. Really nice shot, although I wish there was more eye contact.

Thanks,

I will look at these suggestions.
Yes I thought the same on the clipped wings but as I worked it I thought well it makes it look like a close fly by. I‘ll look at where my zoom was, and it was a good learning experience.
On the Whimbrel/Long Billed, I thought the same as you but my birder friend said the bill was too short and it was a young Whimbrel. So not sure now.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Braxton L]

Thanks,

I will look at these suggestions.
Yes I thought the same on the clipped wings but as I worked it I thought well it makes it look like a close fly by. I‘ll look at where my zoom was, and it was a good learning experience.
On the Whimbrel/Long Billed, I thought the same as you but my birder friend said the bill was too short and it was a young Whimbrel. So not sure now.

Thanks for looking.

100% a curlew. The facial pattern is nowhere near strong enough for a whimbrel, among other things. Bill length is too long for a whimbrel also. It appears shorter because of the angle.

 

[ssheipel]

So you feel that full sun is just too bright to be worth the effort? These were out of quite a few images. Most had some form of blown highlights even if I got the composition and focus correct.

Less that and more I try to capture early light and by mid to late morning I'm ready to go home