Photographing Pelicans at Castle Pinckney Island

Photographing flying pelicans in their natural environment takes careful preparation. In this video, pro wildlife photographers Doug Gardner and Eric Horan take you to Castle Pinckney Island, where the brown pelican rookery is located. You will learn that birds take off in the direction of the wind, and that light can be your best friend or worst enemy. Therefore, your shooting position should be with the wind and the sun behind you. To capture flying birds, Eric recommends using 200-500mm lenses and a ball head tripod when shooting from a boat, but you can go handheld with a shorter zoom lens. Get onboard with Doug and Eric for tips on photographing flying pelicans.

See all videos in our Shooting in the Lowcountry Course:

• Shooting in the Lowcountry—Course Preview
• Photographing Pelicans at Castle Pinckney Island
• Capturing Monkeys on the St. Helena Sound
• Capturing Birds on the Chechessee River