![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/double-crested-cormorant-6836b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"double-crested-cormorant-6836b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nA shot I almost didn’t take.<\/p>\n
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1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Yesterday morning while shooting from my tripod I saw this cormorant take off from from the far end of the pond and head my general direction. But I almost didn’t even try to get ‘her’ in my viewfinder because she was flying almost directly toward the sun behind my right shoulder.<\/p>\n Getting photos I’d like of a black bird flying at that angle to the sun would be a long shot indeed. Besides, in order to get flight shots that weren’t almost “head on” I’d have to wait until she’d pulled nearly even with me and that meant I’d have to do what I call the “tripod dance” – swinging my lens around to shoot 90\u00b0 to my right while doing some fancy footwork to avoid tripping over the tripod legs. I’m too old for that kind of foolishness.<\/p>\n But I made a snap decision and tried anyway and I’m glad I did. I like the photo, even though the lighting is a little wonky. I got several sharp shots of her with the trees in the background but this flight posture was the best one to give me at least some detail in her wings. Almost miraculously there’s light on her face and eye and I like the “fish scale” appearance of some of her plumage..<\/p>\n With very little to no detail in some of her blacks I’m surprised I like the photo as much as I do. Your mileage may vary.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A shot I almost didn’t take.<\/p>\n