1325 Coast Blvd
La Jolla, CA 92037
USA
Expert bird photographers, Steve and Elena Cirone are offering a free Pelican Outing this Sunday, January 15th, 2017 in La Jolla from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Besides pelicans, you’ll probably be able to photograph cormorants, gulls and sea lions too. Steve says that he can’t guarantee the birds will be there because of all the tourists who may scare them away.
Location
Meet at the Cave Store located at 1325 Coast Blvd., La Jolla CA 92037.
Equipment, Settings and Technique
Any camera equipment will work, but a 70-300mm or 100-400mm is ideal.
Steve uses high speed (continuous drive), center point focus only, AI continuous servo. He recommends manual exposure, f/5.6, ISO around 800 or higher and a shutter of at least 1/2000.
He advises taking test shots of the perched birds to get the exact exposure set manually and lock it in. The reason for this is if you use anything other than manual exposure, the birds will be overexposed as they fly near the dark water or underexposed when the sky is the background. You probably will not have time to use exposure compensation.
Position yourself so your shadow points towards but not on the bird. That way it is evenly illuminated. Be careful on exposure as even though pelicans appear to be gray, they expose almost as bright as pure white.