Friday, July 12, 2024

Bird, air, water

Incoming
Port Stanley, ON
July 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’ll apologize in advance, as I’m about to get slightly photo-nerdy. But please trust me when I say there’s a valid reason.

Here’s the deal: When I shoot bird photos, I often like to use my long-ish lens to cover the distance. I have another lens, a mid-range zoom, for everyday, general-purpose pics. And for reasons that elude me, I decided to stick with the shorter glass before we headed for the beach.

Now, beaches being what they are, I try to avoid changing lenses while we’re there. I don’t want to gunk my camera up, and I figure if I end up with the “wrong” lens for a given scenario, I’ll just have to suck it up and figure out a way to shoot something fun with what I’ve got.

Which is my long-winded way of explaining how I ended up with the wrong lens that day, without enough reach to really bring the birds in close.

So I stood with my feet in the wet sand, the waves lapping over my ankles, and thought about it. And the more I thought, the more I realized how wrong I had been.

The more I shot with the so-called “wrong” lens, the more I realized how much I had been missing. Instead of zooming in so close that I could see their freaking eyes, I had the freedom to explore out to the horizon line and everything in between.

In doing so, I saw things through the lens that I had never seen before. It felt…different. And good.

Eventually I came across this gull who seemed intent on beaning me with her beak. She eventually turned away to scream at some of her flock mates, but not before I snagged this image, easily my favourite of the day.

I learned a lot from this seemingly trivial experience. About forcing yourself to see the world through a different lens. And pushing through any doubts you might have when you’re a little outside your comfort zone.

Because whether we’re talking about photography or anything else, we all carry different tools at different moments, and it’s up to us to give them all - even the underused ones - a little more exercise.

We just might learn something in the process.

#portstanley #beach #ldnont #ontario #canada #great #lake #erie #bird #gull #seagull #flight #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photography


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