A fleeting moment transforms a hunt into a ballet on water…
Date:
Photo Taken 2025-06-04, Published 2025-07-26
Location:
Coyote Hills, Fremont, California
Camera / Lens:
Canon R5 Mark II
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM + 1.4x extender
(330mm, f/8, ISO 2000, 1/4000s)
Caption / Reflection:
Just moments after the tern captured its prey, it rose again—feet poised, wings arched, beak gripping the silver prize.
For a split second, it looked less like a predator and more like a dancer, suspended in a moment of pure grace.
This is Water Ballet, the encore to Kiss of Gold.
Where that image captured the decisive strike, these reveal the beauty in transition—rhythm and survival in motion.
Theme:
Motion / Light / Wildlife Performance
Light Notes:
Evening sun painted the scene in soft gold. Reflections danced on the surface. Timing was everything.
Mood / Intention:
Elegance in wild behavior. Survival as art. The tern’s foot tapping water—a pirouette mid-hunt.
Post-Processing Notes:
Minor shadow lift, enhanced warmth to echo Kiss of Gold. Slight crop for vertical emphasis—accentuating the lift.
What I Like / What I’d Improve:
Like: The symmetry and emotional rhythm. The echo of dance in the tern’s form.
Improve: More zoomed in for larger subject size.
Inspiration / Reference:
A follow-up to Kiss of Gold:
Inspired by dance, rhythm in nature, and the unpredictable beauty in birds in motion.
Tags:
#wildlifedance #terns #waterballet #birdphotography #naturemotion #shuttertolight