Manatees: mama and baby
July 3, 2006, at high tide, up a smaller creek, up Shem Creek from Charleston Harbor, Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. They were there an hour or more than swam away as the tide went out.
It was very exciting for me, about 5 or 6 PM, perfect, though hot and muggy, weather. I sat on the dock along with different groups who came and went to see the manatees. I had my 70-200mm lens on at first. They came so close that I switched to my wide angle lens.........at which point they were not that close again.
Here is the wide shot:
Shrimp boats were behind me on the dock. That is where I often photograph morning and evening landscapes, sometimes birds.
These are close ups. It is hard to make a Manatee look interesting, but in "person", they are fascinating. Interestingly, their tales could be mistaken for mermaid's tails, IMO.
ginger (comments, etc. welcome. We have sightings in the Charleston area, but I have never seen one myself. This was very thrilling.)
If there are blown places, I am sorry. I was concerned about the "features" and parts of the animals be seen. For that purpose, I worried less about possible blown areas from the lowering sun and concentrated on the nose (about the only distinguishing feature I could make out other than the tails.) I used LAB conservatively. I used the nose holes to set the dark point.
It was very exciting for me, about 5 or 6 PM, perfect, though hot and muggy, weather. I sat on the dock along with different groups who came and went to see the manatees. I had my 70-200mm lens on at first. They came so close that I switched to my wide angle lens.........at which point they were not that close again.
Here is the wide shot:
Shrimp boats were behind me on the dock. That is where I often photograph morning and evening landscapes, sometimes birds.
These are close ups. It is hard to make a Manatee look interesting, but in "person", they are fascinating. Interestingly, their tales could be mistaken for mermaid's tails, IMO.
ginger (comments, etc. welcome. We have sightings in the Charleston area, but I have never seen one myself. This was very thrilling.)
If there are blown places, I am sorry. I was concerned about the "features" and parts of the animals be seen. For that purpose, I worried less about possible blown areas from the lowering sun and concentrated on the nose (about the only distinguishing feature I could make out other than the tails.) I used LAB conservatively. I used the nose holes to set the dark point.
After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
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Comments
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Thanks, Brooks! I felt so fortunate. I don't think I could ever stop shooting birds!
It has led me in so many different directions................here it gave me Manatees (in my older age). (I did get an egret while I was there. He was about to take a shrimp boat out, No Kidding! Will post that somewhere later.)
I couldn't believe it, not just one, but two Manatees! I was afraid to change lenses for awhile thinking that they were going to leave any second.
It was just a whim that led me to say that I wanted to go to Shem Creek right then..................my, my, I would have been green too, if I had read later that they had been there, and I had not!
Sometimes one can almost believe in something!
ginger
Now we all have to work on visualizing a second camera body in Ginger's bag, so she'll have two lenses at all times. I know, then she'll need a third, and then an assistant to schlepp all the stuff...
Sally
Sals, that's our Ginger here, with her great photos! They do seem enchanted, don't they, the manatees?
Jeri+
I'm glad you was able to took a few nice shots of them. Well done!
Thanks for sharing.
Dick.
Thomas Fuller.
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I've never seen one in the wild !!
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G+
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
You're so lucky to not only see them, but to be able to photograph them. I saw some when I was in Florida years and years ago. I wasn't sure what I was looking at, at first.
Congrats!!!!
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People say they have seen them in zoos, I had not realized that they existed in Zoos. I know I don't live in Florida where they are usually found as Harry pointed out. A sighting further north is a happening!
Since I don't live in Florida, I am now pondering the possibility that I, in fact without knowledge of it, live in a zoo! Makes a lot of things clearer,
Or something
Long live the wetlands, where ever they are!
ginger
Thank you again, all. I have read every comment several times. I appreciate them each and all!
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