“Hey! What’s That?” by Noelle Bennett
Bennett says: “These magnificent birds are New Zealand King shags – they’re an endemic New Zealand species occurring in one small area: Marlborough Sounds. It’s a situation that hasn’t changed for more than 240 years. Unfortunately, this type of restricted distribution makes a species incredibly vulnerable. The only way to see King shags is by boat, which makes my lifestyle ideal, because I live on a yacht! Naturally, photographing from a boat presents its own challenges – even when it’s calm there is usually some sort of swell, which creates movement. A tripod is no use here! The birds tend to inhabit rocky areas and, let’s face it, boats and rocks don’t mix well, so a long lens is essential. The final image is a composite, but each of the additional layers (there are two of them) was produced from the original single file.”
Technical information:
Camera: Panasonic DMC-GH4
Lens: Panasonic Leica DG 100-400mm f/4-6.3
ISO: 200
Aperture: f/5.8
Shutter speed: 1/2000sec
