One of my Words of Wisdom (WOW) tenets is to look behind you when out in nature. I know it is hard to remember or it just never occurs to you that the really good shot could be behind you. It is a simple tenet but I can’t tell you how many times I have taken a potentially great shot just by turning around. Here are a few shots I took when I turned around. These are not competition ready but there is potential in each shot.
Sea Gull– I was done for the day and headed back to the car. I am always doing 360 degree turns to see what I am missing. I just caught this sea gull on the fly for some easy food. In another blog, I will talk about anticipation and patience. If I had stayed and watched for awhile I would not have had to turn around. I could have just waited for the action to happen. Note the color of the foreground rock. By the way, I am red, brown and green color blind so we all have our handicaps. Foreground is another blog topic.
Spotted Towhee-I was sitting at the waters edge waiting for one of my best of shows to turn up. Fat chance right. I happened to turn around and who should be right behind me about 10 feet away was this curious Towhee sitting up in a tree on a branch. I was positioned in the wrong direction and had to move ever so slooowly in order not to spook this little guy.
Crab– Another on my way to the car shots. The sun is hitting me head on. I am looking down with brim hat to protect my eyes and head. When I turned around, what do I see but this little fellow sunning himself and watching me intently. I drop to one knee and started shooting.
Before I leave, just a thought. I always name my photos. I have a knack for it. We will talk about this in another blog too. If you have photographers block then try having a name for your photos before you go out and shoot. For example, come up with a name like “Handsome Dude” and then try to get photos that fit your title for your outing.
Tags: birds, California, El Matador State Park, waterfowl, wildlife
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