Whitest Beach and Some Birds

[NorthernFocus]

We're spending most of the winter on the Carolina coast again this year. Thus far the weather has been rather poor. So much so that I'm having trouble getting out to test equipment and practice shooting BIF prior to heading to Ontario to shoot snowy owls. But I have managed a couple of outings.

We arrived down here from Alaska just in time to experience the southern version of snow and ice. Life down here virtually came to a halt for a couple of days as people aren't prepared to deal with it. It did make for a unique walk on the beach.

1) Smart phone shot


2) Grace is always up for a bit of practice.



3) It's always advisable to test equipment on static subjects first so when it did clear up I went and found some.



4) I'm always advising people to practice shooting BIF on seagulls. Just to show that I practice what I preach. I need to get my hit ratio up a bit before the upcoming shoot but the equipment seems to be doing its part.



5) In the latest gen of Nikon cameras they've come out with what they term as "group focus" mode. It's the first multi-point focus that I've been able to use for BIF with reliable/predictable results. There is no secret interpretive algorithm like the other multi-point modes. The camera simply locks on to the closest object that falls under the group of active focus points. One downside is that when a bird flies close to the ground/water one has to be careful that the lower focus points in the group don't lock on to the ground/water in front of the bird. Pelicans often fly low to the water so provide good practice in that regard. Just need more days of reasonable shooting weather this coming week.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, the upside to the weather conditions is that you pretty much have the area to yourself.

[lovelife65]

Nice series. Love them all.
Your pup Grace looks very happy and beautiful.

[Ziggy]

Well done.

[Manfred M]

Let's hope that the snow and the Snowy Owls cooperate for you.

We had a couple of days of a major mid-winter thaw over the past couple of days, but are doing our best to get the snow levels back up for your visit.

[Tronhard]

A really nice set of images!

[tbob]

If these are your "test shots" I can hardly wait for the real thing.

Just curious. Were you able to restrain yourself when people complained about the cold and snow?

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks for the comments, folks.

Yes, Manfred, I've been watching the weather. It went from way colder than I'd like to spring time. Minus 5C and a bit of snow would be excellent if you can arrange that. No wind please.

..Just curious. Were you able to restrain yourself when people complained about the cold and snow?

Yes we just smiled and nodded. There was about an inch or so of ice on the roads by the time the snow started so conditions were really bad. Ironically there were less accidents here than there would have been back home in AK. People here either stayed shut in for a couple of days or drove REALLY slow. Which was nice. In general we get a lot of comments about how lightly we dress down here. It is comical to us to see people wearing down parkas with fur ruffs when it's 0 to 5C or so.

[Wavelength]

WOW is not enough to express my appreciation.... were i missing your posts or you were away from the forum for a while?

[NorthernFocus]

.... were i missing your posts or you were away from the forum for a while?

No, I've been hanging around but only arguing philosophy lately. Haven't posted any images for quite a while.