Hi Y'all,

The subject of shooting at a rookery has come up a few times recently so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bore y'all with a few thoughts on the topic.

Shooting at a rookery gives a wildlife photographer the opportunity to get some fantastic photo ops under conditions during mating season that we usually don't get during the rest of the year. We can get closer to our subjects.



Plus we have a target rich environment


The problems come in with the target rich environment. Often we have too many subjects and can't isolate our subject. Then you have cluttered backgrounds when every time you see a possible capture there's another bird standing right behind your subject.

Whenever I bring a photographer into a rookery for the first time I tell them to walk through the area and not to take a picture. I want them to look at the light, the backgrounds, the flight patterns, where the clean line of sights are, etc. The most important pieces of equipment in our tool boxes are our eyes and brains.

Invariably they ignore my advice and all I hear is click-click-click-click as they take a multitude of mediocre captures. Things improve once they calm down and recover from the sensory overload.

Rookeries afford a great opportunity for BIFs. The birds fly in discernable patterns and repeat those patterns over and over as they fly into the nest with nesting material and/or food for their young. You want to pick out the areas where you have the best light and a clear BG. Then you wait until the fly into those areas.







You also get chances for interaction, nest,and portrait captures. The key again is your eyes as you eliminate most of the candidates due to lousy BGs, obstructions, and poor light. However the few remaining possibilities will result in some quality results.











If you're near a rookery get yourself over there and takes some pics. You will get loads of captures that will go into your trash can but you will also find some gold. I delete around 90% of my rookery captures but the other 10% usually brings a smile to my normally dour face.

If anybody is going to be shooting at the rookery in St Augustine's Alligator Farm this season give me a holler. I'll be going up there frequently this season until I leave for S. Africa in June.

You are having way to much fun I know what you are saying busy and background 2 things that make wildlife shooting --work. The rookery looks like a fun place

Harry, what great advice all around. And what are those last two photos--the next to last look like a mummy couple and the very last one looks like severe burn victims--what in the hell are they? We don't seem to have them here. I feel sure I would remember. Also, I love the great egret with those lacy feathers draped over the chicks. And what a beautiful sharp clear Roseate Spoonbill in flight. Best, Pam

Another superb set Harry, wish I could have been along. #6 is over the top good, excellent composition on that shot.

Louie

Some stunning captures you have there Harry. Judging on those images: you have done this before :)

Originally Posted by jwear You are having way to much fun I know what you are saying busy and background 2 things that make wildlife shooting --work. The rookery looks like a fun place

My old tag line was "if you ain't having fun you ain't doing it right". Rookeries are a lot of fun but also a lot of work to get good captures.

Originally Posted by PGM Harry, what great advice all around. And what are those last two photos--the next to last look like a mummy couple and the very last one looks like severe burn victims--what in the hell are they? We don't seem to have them here. I feel sure I would remember. Also, I love the great egret with those lacy feathers draped over the chicks. And what a beautiful sharp clear Roseate Spoonbill in flight. Best, Pam

Te last two were wood storks and tri-color heron chicks. The wood stork capture was a prize winne rin the Alligator Farm's yearly photo contest.

Originally Posted by Louis Champan Another superb set Harry, wish I could have been along. #6 is over the top good, excellent composition on that shot. Louie

Wish you could have been there too Louie. We haven't shot together in a few years. You were out of town when I hit SEattle, and then I was in Africa when you hit the Space Coast.

Wow nice work.

Today I took one of my spring trips to our local reserve in East Palo Alto. The Herons were nesting. Next month the Snowy Egrets

We don't have the variety you guys have but I enjoy the few spring shoots.

I agree #6 is over the top...

Great set Harry. The ones that stands out for me is the Cattle Egret head shot and the Egret with the feathers draped over the little ones.

Originally Posted by Dick on Aruba Some stunning captures you have there Harry. Judging on those images: you have done this before :)

Thanks Dick and I have done this a few times

Originally Posted by torags Wow nice work. Today I took one of my spring trips to our local reserve in East Palo Alto. The Herons were nesting. Next month the Snowy Egrets We don't have the variety you guys have but I enjoy the few spring shoots. I agree #6 is over the top...

Thanks Rags and #6 is one of my all time faves. Intersting note on that pic. It was one of 5 pics I entered into the Alligator's Farm photo contest. They selected 3 of the 5 for their calendar but #6 was not one of the winners. I'm guessing the other egret behind the mother was the reason it didn't win. I told y'all about those busy backgrounds.

Originally Posted by Harryb Te last two were wood storks and tri-color heron chicks. The wood stork capture was a prize winne rin the Alligator Farm's yearly photo contest.

Wow! They are great photos of unusual looking bird, at least to me. We do have tri-color herons, so I will be on the lookout for nests and chicks. Apparently years ago we had wood storks, but none in many years. Best, Pam

Originally Posted by Dennis Kaczor Great set Harry. The ones that stands out for me is the Cattle Egret head shot and the Egret with the feathers draped over the little ones.

Thanks Dennis, glad you enjoyed them.

Wonderful write up about shooting in a rookery.
Another thing to add to my bucket list!
Useful information that I will try to use up here in NY, thanks for sharing!

It's always nice to see a set filled with wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing :-)

I got the opportunity to visit High Island this past weekend and saw my first rookery. Absolutely amazing! I got nothing as good as yours, but just getting the chance to experience it was enough for me.

Originally Posted by MakeMeShutter Wonderful write up about shooting in a rookery. Another thing to add to my bucket list! Useful information that I will try to use up here in NY, thanks for sharing!

Thanks much hope it is some use to you.

Originally Posted by csmallari It's always nice to see a set filled with wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing :-)

Originally Posted by dnie I got the opportunity to visit High Island this past weekend and saw my first rookery. Absolutely amazing! I got nothing as good as yours, but just getting the chance to experience it was enough for me.

Thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed the images. I just came back form the rookery in St Augustine. I spent quite a bit of time just looking at the activities of the bird and not taking pictures.