Sometimes I enter an area where there are so many birds that it’s impossible to count them. This happens most often on a shore where flocks of birds come to roost. I take pictures of the birds but I’m rarely satisfied with the results. Rebecca Bowater, our New Zealand naturalist, came upon flocks of Bar-tailed Godwits and Red Knots concentrated on a spit of land. I really like the two pictures of the flocks she shared with us.
In this first shot we see several thousand birds flying. What I like about the shot is that you can still see the mountains behind the flock, the clouds above the flock, and the blue water below. Also note the wide crop impresses upon us the size of the flock. These elements give the viewer a perspective from which to view the many birds and provide an overall pleasing look to the image.
This second shot still has a lot of birds with the mountains and clouds behind them, but many of the birds are on the beach. Different elements help us gain a perspective of the number of birds. First, the driftwood scattered on the beach brings our attention down to the sand and birds. Most of the time I don’t like including people in my bird photos but the single person in the center of the frame, walking behind the flock, brings our eye to the birds that are on the ground and flying low over the beach. The person gives us perspective about the size and number of the birds. Overall a very pleasing composition that gives us a feel for the sheer quantity of birds and includes other elements to give us perspective. Well done, Rebecca!
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