The Vero Beach Spoonbill rookery is the shooting location mixed in with the nesting Ospreys for the Ospreys/Spoonbills mix photography tour. While it is a fantastic location to shoot from the banks on solid ground, it is also a prime environment to capture astounding landings! Which landing do you prefer?
ISO 320 | f/4 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS and the Sony Alpha 1
Having the opportunity to photograph Spoonbills while they are landing straight in front of you is quite the treat. The image above is an example of this situation, with a dramatic landing wings wide open. The extra bonus is the blue background and the diffused grass in the bottom.
ISO 6400 | f/4 | 1/2500 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS and the Sony Alpha 1
The image above is very reminiscent of “Reached For The Sky”, the photograph that received an award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year a few years back: the bird is looking straight at me with wings up in a symmetrical U shape.
ISO 2000 | f/4 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS and the Sony Alpha 1
As the birds come to the banks to pick up sticks to build and maintain their nests, there can be an mesmerizing volume of back to back landings. I have seen more than one participant cry with joy with the opportunity. All three pictures were created during the April 2022 Ospreys/Spoonbills mix bird photography tour. Hurry to book your spot if you like what you see 🙂
Ospreys / Spoonbills mix Photography Tour – $1,390
March 18th-19th 2023 / limit 5 people – Full
April 15th-16th 2023 / limit 5 people – 2 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 2 boat-based Osprey shoots at the Vero Beach Cypress Lake + 1 land-based Spoonbills shoot at a local rookery. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .
Black Skimmers Colony Photography Workshop – $1,090
June 3rd-4th 2023 / limit 6 people – 2 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 3 shoots at the Sarasota Bay Black Skimmers colony. We shoot along the beach, where the nesting colony is easily accessible. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .
Tampa Bay Spoonbills Rookery Photography Tour – $1,490
January 21st-22nd 2023 / limit 5 people – Full
February 18th-19th 2023 / limit 5 people – 1 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 3 shoots at the Tampa Bay Spoonbills rookery. We typically shoot while wading in the water in the mornings and from the boat in the afternoon. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .