Getting down low with the Pelicans as the flew by made for some nice opportunities.

Here he was only a few inches over the surface. Photo shot where the Kiawah and Stono rivers meet to empty into the ocean.
The nice thing about shooting this style is trying some of the software ‘tools’ you rarely use.
I was also thinking to say they don’t move and run away like wildlife. Well, there was a breeze so these ran all over the place.
The background on each of these photographs was a lake. I used a Tamron 18-400 zoom, my one size fits all. It’s the jack of all trades, master of none for sure. However, I avoid carrying a pack of gear. Older and wiser I like to think.
Sandbar off the South Carolina coast.
I was looking to isolate the shot on a single gull, get all the others in the background. Playing with Bokeh. Final image was finished using a 35mm film filter of Kodachrome 400.
The tide was pushing us back towards the rivers here. We let the tide take us along the length of the shoreline letting us gently drift and shoot the birds on the sand. Doing this also gave us time to ‘setup’ shots in the less chaotic areas.
Bird Key, Coastal South Carolina.
Here is a 4 AM project.
The logical thing to do at that hour is pack a bag, a little coffee, and head out for sunrise and early marsh shoots. Today, it was 74 (F) degrees all night, this afternoon around 100(F).
DxO Filmpack software has a few features I wanted to try so I’m staying right here. Most people use NIK SilverEfex for B&W work, I do too. However Filmpack is owned by the same company and has similar tools.
These are from a Charleston 1800’s planters home. The perfect place for B&W.
I guess these are the happy home owners from 200 years ago.