{"id":383,"date":"2009-11-04T01:35:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-04T01:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/?p=383"},"modified":"2014-10-01T03:09:49","modified_gmt":"2014-10-01T03:09:49","slug":"how-to-photograph-a-tern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/?p=383","title":{"rendered":"How to photograph a tern"},"content":{"rendered":"
First find a marshy place<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

with a dock.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Around the dock, look for some comfortable pilings<\/div>\n
where the bird might like to perch.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then, on the pilings, photograph something for the tern<\/div>\n
something beautiful and strange that will make it feel at home.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(I found a couple pelicans.)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then wait with your camera.<\/div>\n
Don’t speak.<\/div>\n
Don’t move.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(Hide behind a piling if you have to.)<\/div>\n

<\/span>
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sometimes a tern will come quickly <\/div>\n
but it can just as well take hours.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Don’t be discouraged if one doesn’t come right away<\/div>\n
wait.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Wait years if necessary<\/div>\n
it doesn’t mean that your photo won’t be good.<\/div>\n

<\/span>
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When the bird comes<\/div>\n
if it comes,<\/div>\n
remain absolutely silent.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Wait until the bird poses for you<\/div>\n
then quietly take frame after frame.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Move closer if you like.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Try not to cut off its tail feathers.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
If you get too distracted or excited<\/div>\n
and forget to show the best angle on the bird<\/div>\n
or have too much pelican in the background<\/div>\n
don’t worry.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(You can fix most anything in PhotoShop later.)<\/div>\n

<\/span>
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Just photograph the bird<\/div>\n
with the prettiest splash of blue for a background<\/div>\n
or green if that’s what you prefer<\/div>\n
and remember to have fun.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Photograph the summer breeze, too<\/div>\n
and the smell of the sunshine and the ruckus of the boat-tailed grackles.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then wait for your bird to sing.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(With terns this is an optional step, of course.)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
If it doesn’t sing, don’t be sad.<\/div>\n
You did your best.<\/div>\n

<\/span>
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But if the bird sings,<\/div>\n
it’s a very good sign.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(Terns seem to spend a lot of time looking at their toes when they should instead be singing.)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It helps to have a <\/span>great lens<\/span><\/a> when taking photos of birds.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
It also helps to have <\/span>a friend<\/span><\/a> willing to loan you such a lens<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

be warned tho<\/div>\n
you’ll want your own.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Santa<\/div>\n
are you listening?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\ud83d\ude09<\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First find a marshy place with a dock. Around the dock, look for some comfortable pilings where the bird might like to perch. Then, on the pilings, photograph something for the tern something beautiful and strange that will make it feel at home. (I found a couple pelicans.) Then wait with your camera. Don’t speak. … Continue reading How to photograph a tern<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7,2,8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somewhereinnj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}