Friday 24 January 2014

Sanderlings and tide times - Norfolk Coast

Whilst filming and photographing the grey seals on the Norfolk coast, I came across a flock of Sanderlings on the shoreline. Normally you see individuals running around frantically looking for food. But it was getting to the end of the day and they had grouped up and were getting ready to roost.

Before I go on a photography shoot I always check what the conditions are ie. weather, wind etc... and when I'm on a beach its always good to know the tide times. In this case I remembered that high tide would be in a few hours. This helped massively in obtaining these shots. As large flocks can sometime be hard to approach due to the many eyes watching your every move. I positioned myself up on the beach a fair way back from the flock. From here I knew if I stayed still the tide would bring the flock to me and they wouldn't be scared off. After about a 45 minute wait the sanderlings were a meter away from me. I doubt I could of got this close if I had tried to approach them.

Here are the shots I got:



Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Sanderling flock

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Portrait

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Keeping an eye out

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Taking flight

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Amongst the flock

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Preening

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Take off

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Washing

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Profile

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Reflection of the flock

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Standing on one leg to save energy

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Running from the water

Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Stretching
Josh Jaggard - Sanderling
Flying kick!


Tips:
  • Use the tide to your advantage.
  • Patience is key to most wildlife photography and it nearly always pays off.
  • As always, a low angle and shallow depth of field works well to make the subject stand out.
Website: www.wildlife-photos.co.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/Josh_Jaggard
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoshJaggardPhotography

Showreel: www.vimeo.com/77449113

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