This is when my excitement peaks and the nerves start.
Then at around 5:30 a.m., as the mist cleared and early morning sunlight illuminated the valley, we heard the unique Osprey call from up above as one circled the area looking for an easy catch. The first two Ospreys to dive were completely masked by mist, preventing the camera focusing. Mist can be a real problem in this area, and on this day, it was no exception. This particular image had an additional challenge on the day. Osprey will not fish if they see human presence nearby, so we typically get into place before sunrise and wait in the dark. The Osprey has a bright white body and under-wing feathers, making it easy to over-expose and lose the feather detail. Especially important is to set the exposure correctly. The bird’s impact through to departure from the water is all over very quickly (maybe 2 or 3 seconds), so it is very important to be ready and to have practiced other birds like ducks and herons before the main attraction. It is crucial to ‘lock on’ to the bird before pressing the shutter otherwise, the whole burst of images will be out of focus. I have strived to perfect my ability to pre-focus on an area of water where I predict the Osprey will hit to save ½ second or so and help give the camera a little more time to focus on the bird. The key areas of technique involve camera focus placement, exposure, and camouflage. Over many years of technique improvements, I have learned each year and see better images over time. Photographing the Ospreys actively fishing is the most exciting wildlife photography I have experienced, feeling a real rush of adrenalin capturing the birds making the incredibly fast dive into the fish rich waters, then exploding out into frantic flight with a huge trout. I make the long journey each year filled with anticipation accompanied by my photographer friend, Gary Jones. The highlight of my summer photography is the eagerly awaited return of many western Ospreys, who choose to return to nest and breed in the Scottish Highlands after a long warm winter spent on the African coast.
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