Will Porter Photography


Destin Florida Photography


Capturing Seagulls over Choctawhatchee Bay

 

Welcome to the flip side of Will Porter Photography. If you usually follow our work, you know we spend a lot of our time meticulously planning lighting, posing, and capturing perfect milestones. But today, we are talking about the R&R side of the lens—the moments we capture when we are out in nature, off the clock, and just letting the environment dictate the shoot. Recently, we took a much-needed vacation to Fort Walton, Florida. While we were there, we hopped on a sunset dolphin sightseeing cruise out of the adjacent beach town of Destin. Cruising the Choctawhatchee Bay near Crab Island, the wildlife absolutely stole the show.
The Scene: Choctawhatchee Bay Sunset Cruise as the boat cut through the water near Crab Island, passengers started handfeeding the seagulls right off the side of the deck. Suddenly, we had a massive flock of gulls pacing the boat, hovering and diving in the golden hour light. When you are presented with chaotic, fast-moving wildlife just inches away, you have to know your gear inside and out. You don't have time to endlessly stare at your screen or second-guess your exposure triangle.
The Gear and Settings for Birds in Flight for this impromptu session, Dena was armed with the heavy artillery. Here is a breakdown of the exact loadout and settings used to freeze this action:
Camera Body: Nikon D850 with a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art. Shutter speed: 1/500. ISO: 200 Aperture: f/4.5 Focus Mode: AF-C (Continuous). Focal Length: 35mm (Wide) & 70mm (Tight).
The Technical Breakdown: Shooting in full manual mode is mandatory here to keep the sky from tricking the camera's light meter into underexposing the birds. A shutter speed of 1/500s is actually living a little dangerously for birds in flight—usually, you want 1/1000s or faster to freeze wingtips. However, because the gulls were pacing the speed of the boat and essentially gliding alongside us, 1/500s was the perfect sweet spot to keep the ISO low at 200 for maximum dynamic range, while f/4.5 provided just enough depth of field to keep the erratic birds sharp. Continuous focus (AF-C) was fully engaged to track the gulls as they darted in and out of the frame.
A Brutally Honest Confession. At Will Porter Photography, I am the lead shooter, and Dena is our invaluable second shooter and lead when it comes to posing our clients. But I will be the first to admit it: Dena completely outdid me here. She absolutely smoked these shots. I look at the composition, the sharpness of the eyes, and the sheer action captured in these frames, and I have to concede defeat. I believe these rank right up there with the most prized images we have ever captured.
The ultimate takeaway? Some of the absolute best images are captured when you are completely relaxed, not overthinking the outcome, and just having fun with the camera in your hands.
Seagulls flying over ocean water beside a boat with a person visible on deck.
Seagulls flying alongside a cruise ship railing over dark ocean waters with a passenger visible below.
Seagulls flying alongside a boat over dark ocean waters as a person leans over the railing.
Person feeding seagulls from a boat railing over dark ocean waters with multiple birds in flight.
A seagull flies alongside a boat railing over dark ocean waters as a person feeds it.
A seagull flies close to a boat railing over dark ocean waters as a person reaches out to feed it.
Two seagulls soaring gracefully over ocean water near a metal railing on a sunny day.
Person feeding seagulls from a boat deck over dark ocean waters with birds in flight nearby.
Seagulls soaring gracefully over ocean water near a metal railing on a sunny day.
Two seagulls soaring gracefully over deep blue ocean waves, showcasing their white and gray plumage in mid-flight.
A seagull soaring gracefully through a partly cloudy blue sky with wings fully spread in flight.
Seagulls flying over a calm blue harbor with city buildings and cloudy sky in the background.
A single seagull soaring gracefully against a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
Seagulls flying over blue ocean water with coastal buildings and boats in the background.
Two seagulls soaring over ocean waves near a metal railing, captured mid-flight with wings spread wide.
A seagull soaring gracefully through a partly cloudy blue sky with wings fully spread in flight.
A seagull soaring gracefully through a partly cloudy blue sky with wings spread wide in mid-flight.
Two seagulls soaring gracefully against a partly cloudy blue sky, wings spread wide.
Flock of seagulls flying over a coastal waterway with boats and city buildings in background.
Flock of seagulls flying over ocean water near a boat dock with city buildings in the background.
Seagulls flying and diving over dark ocean waves near a boat railing.
Flock of seagulls flying over choppy ocean waters near a marina with boats and city buildings in the background.
Seagulls flying over ocean water near a boat railing as people feed them from the deck.
Flock of seagulls flying over dark ocean water near a boat railing on a sunny day.
Flock of seagulls soaring over ocean waves beside a boat railing on a cloudy day.
Flock of seagulls flying over dark ocean waves beside a boat railing on a sunny day.
Flock of seagulls soaring above choppy ocean water beside a boat.
Seagulls flying over a calm blue waterway with coastal buildings and a yellow boat in the background.
Flock of seagulls flying alongside a ferry boat railing on a sunny day with a yellow boat behind.
Seagulls flying over water with a yellow ferry boat and city buildings in background.
Seagulls in flight over harbor with yellow boat and coastal buildings under cloudy sky.
Seagulls flying over dark blue ocean water near a metal railing on a boat deck.
Seagulls flying over a calm blue harbor with boats and city buildings in the background on a cloudy day.
Seagull soaring with wings spread wide over harbor with boats and waterfront buildings.
Flock of seagulls soaring over blue ocean water with a yellow ferry boat in background.
Seagulls flying over choppy ocean waves near a boat railing on a sunny day.