Speaking of pelicans … there are the Brown Pelicans in Florida. Not sure what it is about the Brown Pelican, I just gravitate towards them whenever they are within range of my lens. They are so prehistoric lookin, have a helluva bite but I know first hand they have a big heart. And when it comes to flight, they are masters of the air riding currents we can’t even feel. So photographing them in flight always fascinates me and as you’ve seen, photographing them floating on the crest of a wave is one way I love to tell the story of their flight. Then there is the another ….
When pelicans decide they are going to land, there is a moment as they change their flight that another aspect of their ability is displayed. The thing is, in order to land they need to dump air from their wings so they can land. In doing so, they twist and torque in all sorts of ways depending on how fast they want to land on a particular spot. And in photographing this folly, you have to pan in a vertical rather then the typical horizontal style. This is where the challenge comes.
While at Ding Darling, had a couple of opportunities to work on my vertical panning as the pelicans flew in. Shooting with the D4s / 800mm w/TC-1.25e, one “trick” I find helpful is picking up the subject long before it’s even in range for a the photo. The reason is to get an idea of how the pelican is flying in. You will see them start to turn their body, lower their feet and twist their primaries. With this, the panning is on a vertical movement and this is done easier when the tripod is high so you don’t have to bend your back. This makes the pan downwards smoother and that helps in getting the sharp image. The last thing is to let the shutter fly! It takes a number of passes to make the shots, but I love the challenge and those successful images. And when telling the story of the Brown Pelican flight, the vertical panning shot works.