This summer I spent a few weeks in Hawaii, with some pretty exciting bird photography time. One of the highlights was a visit at the Popoia Island shearwater colony just offshore from Kailua (Oahu). Getting there was a bit of an adventure, as a relatively short kayak trip is the only mean to the island... and of course this requires some serious wrapping of all the photographic gear in water-proof bags. Once on the island, the shearwaters are incredibly tame, and one could easily kill a bird in its burrow if not paying attention while walking around. I got this shot while lying on the ground with the camera directly on the short vegetation. I would have prefered a shot framed a bit more to the right, but these birds don't yawn for very long, so it was a tricky shot! The shot was taken relatively early in the morning (about 10am), but the light was already getting a bit harsh for my taste.
Comments and critique most welcome
Étienne
Setup : Nikon D90, 300mm at F/5.0
Comments
2 commentsExcellent detail in the head plumage and an interesting pose with that yawn. The low andgle and includd foliage are neat. If I could ever remember to do it myself, I'd say a follow on shot framed a bit to the right could easily be stitched onto this to give you the framing you wanted.
Sounds like a cool excursion.
Wow, you sure got close to this bird. Love the open mouthed pose. Would have been nice to get some catchlight in the bird's eye. Nice detail shot on the bird's head and bill.