Brown Booby
The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a visually arresting seabird I encountered during an early morning expedition by fishing boat to Isla Terrón de Azúcar, a remote rock island in the open Caribbean waters off the coast of Capurganá and Acandí, in Chocó, Colombia. Battling the ocean’s rhythm, I stabilized myself at the base of the cliffs as the boat rocked through intense sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface. This bird perched calmly on the rugged rock, allowing a moment of stillness amidst the motion for a shot.
To capture this image, I used my Canon R5 paired with an 800mm f/11 lens and a 1.4x extender, giving me an effective focal length of 1120mm. I selected 1/750 second to compensate for the instability of the boat, while shooting at f/16 and ISO 800 to maintain detail and depth under the bright tropical sun. The result is a high-resolution portrait that captures the contrast of the bird’s rich brown plumage against the textured cliff and the soft gradient of ocean and sky beyond. Technical choices aside, this was a rewarding challenge—one that reminds me of the delicate balance between preparation, persistence, and nature’s fleeting stillness.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
Brown Booby
The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a visually arresting seabird I encountered during an early morning expedition by fishing boat to Isla Terrón de Azúcar, a remote rock island in the open Caribbean waters off the coast of Capurganá and Acandí, in Chocó, Colombia. Battling the ocean’s rhythm, I stabilized myself at the base of the cliffs as the boat rocked through intense sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface. This bird perched calmly on the rugged rock, allowing a moment of stillness amidst the motion for a shot.
To capture this image, I used my Canon R5 paired with an 800mm f/11 lens and a 1.4x extender, giving me an effective focal length of 1120mm. I selected 1/750 second to compensate for the instability of the boat, while shooting at f/16 and ISO 800 to maintain detail and depth under the bright tropical sun. The result is a high-resolution portrait that captures the contrast of the bird’s rich brown plumage against the textured cliff and the soft gradient of ocean and sky beyond. Technical choices aside, this was a rewarding challenge—one that reminds me of the delicate balance between preparation, persistence, and nature’s fleeting stillness.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer