Gullwings

[mdejong]

Started a gull gallery (great to practice you shooting skills of flying birds so you are ready when faced with an opportunity that involves less common species).

http://www.pbase.com/mdejong/gulls

[pstewart]

I'm glad to see you added more gulls! Beautiful pictures!

What lens do you use? What minimum shutter speed? And mainly how do you follow a flying bird and keep it in focus...I have had no luck! Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[sigmadslr]

I'm glad to see you added more gulls! Beautiful pictures!

What lens do you use? What minimum shutter speed? And mainly how do you follow a flying bird and keep it in focus...I have had no luck! Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

A shutterspeed of 1/750s or less is usually needed. I have used two lenses for these pics. A relatively cheap Sigma 70-300 APO lens shot almost exclusively at f5.6 and around 200mm give the best results and a better Sigma 24-70 EX f2.8 lens. For the second lens you have to be pretty close obviously. Trick is to get them to come to you rather then you following them. Fortunately with gulls (as with pigeons) this is very easy. For these shot I set up near a rocky outcrop along the ocean where I live. There are lots of little rocky peaks that the birds can sit down on. I take some bread but instead of throwing it straight at them I throw it a little away from me but still close enough to me that they actually hesitate to grab it. Otherwise they will take it and are gone in seconds. The results is that a lot of gulls congregate around my little spot and jocky for position on these rocky outcrops. I just focus on one of these outcrops and as soon as one lands or takes of I pull the trigger. In addition just improvise with gulls that you see approaching. One more thing. Go at a time when the lighting conditions are perfect. In my case this is early in the morning (but not too early) when the sun is relatively low behind me and I am shooting with the ocean in the background.

Cheers,

Marcel

[mdejong]

Added some more from this morning

http://www.pbase.com/image/27784438
http://www.pbase.com/image/27784439
http://www.pbase.com/image/27785404