Feature Photo # 8
The Story Behind the Photo
Great Egret - Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida
December 26, 2004Ding Darling is one of the most famous bird photography locations in the world. Renowned for its large number of wading birds, which are habituated to people, it's one of few places where photographing birds is actually easy.
I've been going to Ding Darling each winter for many years and have thousands of photos of the usual suspects you find there: Roseate Spoonbills, White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Red-shouldered Hawks and all the herons and egrets. With each visit to the refuge, I strive to shoot new species and behaviors, and to improve on my past images.
On this particular morning, my stepfather Tom and I had been shooting for a couple hours and began working our way out of the refuge for the day. Rounding one bend, we saw a huge flock of Great Egrets feeding together very close to the road. Naturally, we unloaded the gear and started shooting! The egrets were catching lots of fish, but were always facing away from us when they swallowed the fish. After a half hour of frustration - not getting the shot I envisioned - I was ready to pack it in for the day because the light was getting harsh. Just then, as luck would have it, an egret landed close to me and caught a fish. I was in the perfect spot to capture this full-frame head shot of it swallowing the fish!
Technicals:
Canon EOS 1D mark II, EF 600mm f/4 + 1.4x TC; ISO 100; Aperture Priority -2/3
1/1000s at f/5.6; shot in raw format and converted with BreezeBrowser; full-frame image
Past Feature Photos/Stories