Keeper of the Tides

Sanderlings are a fearless shorebird spending a vast majority of its life at the waters edge. They appear to be the keepers of the tide, always chasing the waves back from where they came. As fast as their little legs will go, the run after the waves looking for what they might have deposited or what’s in the sand coming up to greet the water, they an make a meal of. It’s an endless cycle that has been in motion nearly forever. It’s a delicate balance, one we need to share in our photographs.

In telling their story, I start by getting down on their level looking for the background setting that stage for our star. I then think about that background. At times, I might want a soft blur to the water like you see above. Other times, I might want everything crystal clear like you see below. It’s all a matter of shutter speed. Always shooting in Aperture Priority makin the change is as simple as opening up or closing down the aperture. Lying there in the wet sand, one grows a great appreciation for the keeper of the tides.