On my last visit to Iceland I took some personal time to visit a glacial lagoon. I was thrilled to see a large number of arctic terns making pass after pass around us. They are speedy and turn on a dime, so getting sharp images means you have to take a lot of shots and be prepared to throw many away. In fact that is often the case with any birds-in-flight photography.
This guy made a sudden hairpin turn and started gliding right toward me. My camera was set on AI (continuous focus), but when the action is coming directly at you, it is not always easy for the autofocus to lock on. In this case I was fortunate to get a sharp shot for two reasons - terns have not only a sharp line where their dark feathers meet their white ones, but this tern was directly in front a deep black area of the glacier. Autofocus functions best when there is a hard line with good contrast for the lens to grab onto, and that is exactly the situation here.
This is a color image, but except for the tern's bill, there was no other color in this scene.
For action shots, all you can do is be as prepared as possible, and hope for the best. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, with the right conditions, and had my camera set properly (continuous focus AND rapid burst). Often those once-in-a-lifetime shots come when you least expect it. Knowledge of your camera and its settings are your best friends when seeking action shots.
TECH SPECS
1/1250 sec., f/8, ISO 800. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens with Canon 1.4x extender for an effective focal length of 560mm on Canon 7D Mark II body. Handheld.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." --Oprah Winfrey
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