My photographic comfort zone is definitely animals. I find it very difficult to make landscapes interesting, even if the view is unbelievable and the waves are spectacular. And don’t even get me started on human photography. Humans always tend to make things more difficult.
Below are some of my favorite animal photos from this summer, particularly during the last week when I was trying to be outside as much as possible.
First up, more birds!
There were cedar waxwings EVERYWHERE in August. I think they’re gorgeous birds that look like they’re constantly plotting a heist with their dramatic crests and black eye masks.
Second, insects!
It’s always a treat to see monarch butterflies.
Third, and probably my favorite, seals!
They are one of the more difficult Monhegan animals to capture, simply because of the distance. One of the days when I was out on the cliffs trying to take seal photos, I got super frustrated that the images were coming out fuzzy despite the good lighting and low ISO. I later figured out that I had set my aperture waaay too small. I think I was on f/16 or something. Once I opened it up to f/8, it made an enormous difference and I was much happier, even if it meant slower shutter speeds and slightly higher ISOs.
My favorite photoshoot with the seals this summer was at Pulpit Rock the day before we left. Even so much as shifting clouds can change the lighting dramatically in a matter of minutes:
One of these days I will post non-Monhegan photos…
…but not anytime soon.
Rebecca Bass 