Although I'm a warm weather kind of person, there is nothing like Autumn. It's such a vibrant time of year and perfect for nature photography. Especially of course in places with strong seasonality. In this case I got to enjoy some beautiful wildlife and Autumn in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
My first opportunity to visit America was for a conference in the winter of 2013. I didn't know that I would enjoy the place so much, and I've been lucky enough to be able to return on two occasions. All my visits have been in Autumn to winter and always to the state of Massachusetts, which incidentally has a strong whaling history converted to whale watching culture. I have come to really like the area and the people and have had the chance to experience some amazing wildlife there too (to follow in the next post)...
I always love some good bird activity when I'm out looking for whales and dolphins. Especially when they are engaged in feeding on a bait ball and you get to see the birds snatching up the fish from close to the surface. In this it it was a large flock of Cory's shearwaters and some yellow-legged gulls feeding together.
It's been a while since I have posted. Now I have a bit more time again I plan to ease back into sharing some of my favourite photos from the past years. To start off, here is a dive sequence of a sperm whale off the Azores. Right now (July) is when they gather in groups off the Azores islands and give some amazing sightings.
Sunset boat trips are a great opportunity to photograph expansive areas of sky as the sun sinks behind the ocean horizon. The large cloud cover that is almost always present in the Azores is great for creating depth and different moods as they soak up the different colours of the last light of the day.
When dolphins travel and come up to breathe they often create very interesting and beautiful patterns on the surface as they disturb the water. I love the challenge of trying to capture unique splashes and water features, as well as the fact that no two photos will ever be exactly the same.
