A moment in time...
The Wild Amelia photo walk group met this past week for a sunrise shoot on Blackrock Beach. Shooting landscape shots like this requires different lens combinations, use of filters, and knowing how to compose and expose the scene to catch the moment. And you only have a short window and moment in time to get the right shot.
Walking down the trail in the predawn light, I chuckle as the folks ahead of me encounter the numerous spider webs strung across the trail by the Banana Spiders ( that is why I am bringing up the rear). After the hike to the beach we carefully scale the small dune cliff and begin to set up for the coming sunrise shoot. There are some altocumulus clouds in the sky and we hope they will catch some color reflections as the sun begins to peak over the horizon. Such was not the case today as the few clouds quickly blew over and the sky cleared. The orange glow of the sun was about the only color showing over a low distant cloudbank near the horizon. I chose my spot and begin to push the doohickey, changing my exposure settings to match the sky. Got it.
Later that morning on the dock I have some close encounters of the "blue" kind. A young Great Blue Heron flies up the channel, completely unaware of my presence until at the last moment. It suddenly realizes that I am sitting exactly where it planned to land and does a hard bank to its left to avoid me while filling the frame. Click. Shortly after that encounter, a Tricolored Heron almost lands on me also! Some Black Crowned and Yellow Crowned Night Herons are looking for eels and other morsels in the tidal stream. Two Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Herons get their feathers ruffled over territory and George, the adult, has to step in and let them know that is no way for young ones to act.
"Raise up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" the proverb tells us. That is why it is so important to take that moment in time while they are young and raise them right. It is those in between years that cause all the grey hairs and wrinkles though. Be blessed. Harry
You only get a small moment in time to catch the sunrise...Got it..Black Rock Beach sunrise triptych...Follow the sun...
Several Black Crowned Night Herons fly by in the morning light..
The Black and Yellow Crowned Night Herons are looking for mud eels and other morsels..
A young Great Blue Heron approaches the dock unaware I am sitting there..
OMG we are going to crash..hard bank to the left...
The Great Blue fills the frame as it flies by and joins the night herons..
A Tricolored Heron then almost lands on me too..
That was close there Mr. Doohickey..only had a moment to avoid you..whew!
The two Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Herons get their feathers up over who is King of the marsh..
I was here first there bozo...
Get out of here...!
George, the adult Yellow Crowned Night Heron had had enough of these young ones rude manners...
George tells the young ones to go back to the roost and stay there until they learn some breakfast manners..train em young ya know..!