A strange bird the Pelican…
For my trip to Greece to photograph the Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini I did what you should never do as a photographer – I bought a new lens for a mission-critical project without having used it at all first. That’s a high-risk strategy. One might even say I had a Cavalier disregard for the potential outcome, should your references be largely based around historical terms to denigrate the opposition in the English Civil War.
There I was, using my new 14 – 30 mm focal length lens for the first time, lying on a yoga mat at the edge of the lake, waiting for Pelicans to come parading by. And they did, in great numbers. Clearly, fish are a significant inducement.
I was delighted with this otherworldly shot of three Dalmatian Pelicans competing for a fish in front of my face. I don’t think I could have got a closer shot if I had balanced the fish on the end of my lens.
I will now always carry a lens cloth in an easily accessible pocket, since my camera was subjected to several direct hits of lake water. I’m grateful that the front element of my new lens not only has the ability to hold a lens filter to protect it but that I also bought one and fitted it just in time for the trip.
Such intensive use of my camera has bred an easier familiarity with its controls. I now know that the sensitive touchscreen can be activated by drops of water. I have also inadvertently checked that the battery compartment is at least water resistant if not totally waterproof after bathing the bottom of my camera in a Pelican-induced wave.
It was all worth it, don’t you think?
And that risky new lens worked out just fine.
More from Lake Kerkini
Changing light The warmth of this image is a thrill. The difference in the mood of this image because of the changing… read more
Pelicans and mountains The blues and purples of this image are very restful, aren't they? So is being out on a boat on… read more
A still evening on the water It's that time of the evening, when the light becomes glorious as a few stray rays of the sun hit… read more
Symmetry There's something deeply appealing about the symmetry of these Dalmatian Pelicans. There's also something worrying about them begging for fish… read more
Wingbeats Dalmatian Pelicans are beautiful and getting more so as their mature breeding plumage approaches. Here's one having a flap showing… read more
A rockstar mop Dalmatian Pelicans have a rockstar hairstyle. It's bedhead on steroids. Just look at this unruly mess: The water at this… read more
After dawn I have far more photographs of sunsets than I do of sunrises. That's because I'm usually not in bed until… read more
Great White Pelicans The Great White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus, is also known as the Eastern White Pelican, the Rosy Pelican or just the… read more
Great White Pelican at Lake Kerkini There are Great White Pelicans at Lake Kerkini in Greece. There are fewer of them than Dalmatian Pelicans. Interestingly, Dalmatian… read more