Up On the Roof

Hugh and I traded lenses for this casual shoot several months ago. He took the E-520 and the 70-300, and I went wide with the 14-54mm on the E-3. I thought I’d capture scenery against a mackerel sky. I wasn’t expecting to get this perspective on pelicans. In fact, I admit handing over the 70-300 with trepidation, knowing we’d probably see Brown Pelicans congregating on the docks as fishing boats coasted into the magic hour light.

As I passed below this shack, where pelicans and gulls took turns between perching and scavenging, I realized the birds commanded enough foreground to make these shots worthwhile. Proximity keeps the animals from getting lost in the vast real estate of that wide lens. And . . . this broad view more accurately captures the melée than the 70-300 would have. This whole sequence took place in the span of a few minutes, before all birds descended on fish scraps at the docks. It was a great lesson for me in defying conventional tools (telephoto for wildlife) to acquire a different vision.

Related posts on pelicans: The Flight of the Pelican | Sunday in the Park With Pelicans | Mixed Use, Pelican Style