Black-bellied Plover at San Luis Rey River Mouth

Black-bellied Plover. San Luis Rey River mouth, Oceanside, California. September 7, 2014. Greg Gillson.

A rather unwary juvenile Black-bellied Plover was on the beach at Oceanside, California. I find these photos rather pleasing to look at, artistically. The camera angle is low. The sun is also low, creating side shadows that accentuate the shape of the bird. The focus is sharp and depth of field good. The seaweed provides an interesting background. The second photo shows the bird engaged in an activity--which always makes wildlife photographs more interesting.

Of course, with wildlife photography, you can't control many of these things in the field. You just keep taking photos while the bird will let you--paying attention to potentially distracting background elements and sun angle--and just hope one of the pictures turns out.