Mastering Bird Photography

Chapter 4

GETTING CLOSE

Sitting on the damp sand just shy of the waterline, I watch as an American Oystercatcher forages along the beach. It is moving toward me while it runs in and out of the surf in search of tiny shellfish, which it deftly pries open to reach the tasty flesh inside. Closer and closer it comes until my 400mm lens can include only a part of it in the frame. Contorting my body into a low position that would impress a yoga guru, I capture an almost abstract view of the bird while it is processing a clam using its colorful, chisel-like bill.

Figure 4.1: Great Roadrunner closeup, photographed from a vehicle.

Nikon F5, Fuji Provia ...