Three boats, sixteen birds, and all the colours of the rainbow
21/07/2019 09:46
Some say photography is all about light. Along with that, though, time is critical: light is transient, and the photographer must find the light and subject matter at the right time. The phrase "F/8 and be there!" is usually attributed to Arthur Fellig (better known as Weegee), in his advice to photographers. My camera was set at f/10 rather than f/8 for my Berry Point photograph, but I did manage to "be there". The rainbow did not last, the three boats are no longer there, and it will be a long time before that many birds will fly in front of a rainbow at that location again.
I must admit that technically, this photograph could be better: if I had pointed the camera a bit lower, it would have included more of the boats; if I had used a faster shutter-speed (or perhaps if I had set my camera's aperture to f/8 rather than f/10), the birds might have been a bit clearer. Those are minor points, though, when you consider the uniqueness of a flock of birds flying through a rainbow at one of Gabriola Island's most iconic locations.
Most people would have little difficulty taking a photograph at Berry Point (thousands have done so!). Many could capture a rainbow, but not many would anticipate the rainbow from weather conditions, and then wait (and wait, and wait) for the rainbow to appear. Fewer still would notice the birds approaching from the west toward the rainbow. On March 16, 2010, a little after 4:30 p.m., there was (as far as I know) only one person standing at Berry Point with his camera, watching the birds move closer to the rainbow, ready to click at the decisive moment.