While visiting Capurganá, Chocó, Colombia, I had the opportunity to explore a small rocky island called Isla Terrón de Azúcar, located just off the coast in the Caribbean Sea. This rugged outcrop is home to large colonies of seabirds, including the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster). I joined a local fishing boat for the short but bumpy ride across the open water, eager to photograph the life thriving on this isolated island.
Photographing from a moving boat posed significant technical challenges. To compensate for the constant rocking motion of the boat, I selected a shutter speed of 1/500 second. I paired my Canon EOS R5 with the RF 800mm F11 lens and added a 1.4x extender, giving me an effective focal length of 1120mm. Shooting at f/16 and ISO 800, I relied on the strong tropical sunlight to provide enough exposure while keeping the ISO manageable for fine detail retention. Timing the shot during a moment of relative calm, I captured a solitary Brown Booby perched confidently against the weathered stone backdrop, the sunlight bringing out the subtle textures and rich earth tones of its plumage.
This image reminds me how rewarding it is to adapt quickly to tough conditions, trust my gear, and stay patient until the right opportunity appears. Encounters like these fuel my passion for bird photography and conservation.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
