Getting successful wildlife images often requires the photographer to have (at the very least) a basic understanding of the behaviour of the animal in question, as well as anticipating the moment a good image will present itself.
This particularly applied to today's photograph of a Greylag gosling under its mother's wing. Possibly one of the same family I photographed last week - there are several in the same area - a parent bird sat by the waterside with its wings partially extended, offering its young a protective wing.
Several took up the option, and it was just a matter of time before one would poke its head through the plumage as it became more crowded below. All I had to do was to wait for the right moment to shoot.
The photograph also benefits from being made with the subject in open shade, which helps to saturate colours and allow more detail to be shown. Direct sunlight would have drastically lessened the quality of the picture.
300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/400 second at f/8. -0.67 EV compensation. ISO 640
© 2011
