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Dorian Anderson Photography


From the Kayak

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Bufflehead
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Bufflehead

Shooting Bufflehead from my inflatable kayak is the ultimate game of cat and mouse. It's incredibly difficult to get close to these guys, and it takes a delicate balance of skill and luck to anticipate their escape when they inevitably flee the boat. One technique I use is to push the birds into an undeveloped corner of the harbor because the backing shoreline prevents them from flying directly away; it forces them to escape more across my bow or along the side of the boat where I stand a chance of capturing them. Only once the birds have committed to an escape can I stop repositioning the boat, drop the paddle, and reach for the camera. I only have a second or two to square the bird, acquire focus, and capture before it's gone. So, yeah, this represents a pretty awesome result. The gold water is created by earthen cliffs in the background. I wasn't initially a fan of the blue ripples as I wanted entirely golden surrounds, but the bicolor grew on me as I processed the image.

Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, California, 2/5/20
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II
1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 640

  • Bufflehead
  • Black Oystercatcher
  • Red-throated Loon (winter plumage)
  • Clark's Grebe
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron
  • Black Oystercatcher
  • Clark's Grebe
  • Lesser Scaup
  • Long-billed Curlew
  • Surf Scoter
  • Pigeon Guillemot
  • Surf Scoter
  • Western Grebe
  • Black Oystercatcher
  • Common Loon
  • Great Egret
  • Clark's Grebe
  • Red-throated Loon (winter plumage)
  • Bufflehead
  • Western Grebe
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