Morning with a Willet

Hilton Head Island is a fantastic place for photographing wintering shorebirds. The quality of light, especially during the winter mornings, is truly magical here. When the weather and tide conditions are right, this place is one of the prime locations for photographing shorebirds.

I was at the beach at least 30 minutes before sunrise, and the birds were already active feeding on the mudflats. The beautiful morning light nicely reflected on the calm water. Before sunrise, I located this Willet actively feeding in the tidal pool.

I positioned myself to shoot this Willet in the glowing water against the golden sky, creating a lovely silhouette.


Why this photo works

The magical early morning soft light makes this photo work. The morning light reflected beautifully in the relatively calm water, creating a lovely glow around the bird.

Placing the bird against the rising sun rendered a beautiful silhouette of this Willet in the wintering plumage. The simple wintering plumage of the Willet could have been a distraction, taking focus away from the beautiful light. Instead, the silhouetted Willet adds a mystery and intrigue to the moment captured here. The wading pose of the Willet adds needed dynamism to the image.


Technical Details

 SONY ILCE-1 (ALPHA 1)
 SONY 600MM F4 GM OSS + SONY 1.4x TELECONVERTER
 840MM
 F/5.6
 1/250S
 100
 -2.7
 AUTO
 FISH HAUL BEACH, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC, USA
 FEB 10, 2022 @ 8:15 AM

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