Photo of the Day – Seagull Launch

I was leaving Navy Pier on Wednesday, when I saw a seagull perched atop the mooring anchor for a ship’s docking ropes.  I figured I’d try and get one last photo before I left.  I set my focus point and slowly crept up on the unsuspecting seagull.  When I was about three feet away he began to get fidgety.   Camera in hand (with Nikkor 10-24 lens) I lunged forward and he took off.  My arm fully extended, I held down the shutter button and just hoped I’d catch something.  I wasn’t able to take my time and line hm up in the viewfinder – This literally was a “point and shoot.  Well, more like “reach and shoot”.  At the moment the shutter snapped I was probably only 1-2 feet away from the bird itself.  Reviewing my photos seconds after he had taken flight, I was amazed to find that I had actually caught exactly what I wanted to!  The bird is in-focus, I didn’t clip his wings, and the lighting was perfect.  A lot of things had to go right for this shot, and the odds weren’t in my favor.  Sure skill is a necessity for every photographer, but every once in a while, the lucky shots are the ones that come the best!