Photographing Snow Geese

With an unusual amount of rain that this winter has had, a large (unusually large) pool of water has been formed on the low ground of Garry Point, Richmond. Flocks of snow geese came and apparently liked this pool. For many days, they stayed in and around the pool, despite frequent harassment by dogs and, sometimes, people. They were quite a sight to watch, and to photograph.

But I find that snow geese are not easy to be photographed with good composition. A flock of snow geese looks messy on ground or in flight unless you can get a pattern or a standout point of interest. They are very vigilant and walk away at your approach with their butts towards you. If you scare or chase them, they take off with butts towards you. It takes a lot of patience and waiting to get a composition that is worth photographing. A long lens (200mm+) is necessary. Be observant and look for patterns. Be patient and wait for them to take off voluntarily or towards you (if they are scared by something on the other side). Sometimes using a slow shutter to shoot the geese may get an artistically blurred effect. Foggy weather may provide clean backgrounds. People can be fitted into a composition. These are something I learnt lately by the pool at Garry Point.

 

Tags: birds, migrating birds, photography, snow geese, wintering birds

• January 23, 2015
• Home front 家门前, Photography, Wildlife
• 6 Comments