In flight – Chichester Harbour
Waiting for the vital missing ingredient to appear in a scene is part of the joy of photography, but it can also be very frustrating. This picture is a case in point. Driving home this weekend I spotted the attractive light and cloud formations over Chichester Harbour, near Bosham. As time was on my side, I quickly collected my camera and returned to a parking place near the water which I know well. Fifteen minutes later I was in the right position to take the shot but there was something missing. Various sea birds flew overhead and I soon realised that the water and sky on their own were not sufficient to make the shot. It needed a bird in flight correctly positioned in the frame to complete the scene. The gull ‘In flight’ was the missing ingredient.
I waited patiently and took numerous shots. In some the bird was too far away, or the placement of its wings just wasn’t quite right. In other frames the bird was too high or too low, or flying towards the edge and not towards the centre of the picture. Patience was finally rewarded and I got the picture I wanted.
This month has been quite productive. I have been out taking images virtually every day. This is certainly another frame which will be added to the short list ahead of my exhibition on Chichester Harbour later in the year.
alan frost photography 
6 Responses to “In flight – Chichester Harbour”
Excellent.
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Thanks very much
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This one is a great shot….definitely a winner, and as you say, that bird was in just the right position to complete the composition. Nice contrast between the water and the dark reeds too. I, personally, vote this one in to the exhibition.
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Thanks Vicki. The cloudscape first attracted me to take the shot but including a bird in the composition just added something extra. I have no doubt it will be hanging on the wall come November, as it depicts the location so well.
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I am often surprised how one small addition can have such a profound impact on a composition. The gull ‘makes’ the image, and the light is beautiful.
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Thank you Andy. Pleased to say the gull was not added in photoshop. In that sense I am a purist – I will use traditional darkroom techniques but not copy and paste! It does make the image though.
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