{"id":13782,"date":"2014-01-25T06:41:43","date_gmt":"2014-01-25T13:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=13782"},"modified":"2025-08-05T10:50:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:50:36","slug":"four-intimate-gull-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/01\/25\/four-intimate-gull-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Intimate Gull Portraits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PeacefulLaughing Gull portrait – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 160, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I like gulls. I especially like being able to see them up close when the opportunities arise and will take advantage of my close proximity by taking gull portraits of these beautiful but often disliked birds.<\/p>\n

This Laughing Gull was photographed in Florida several years ago on a day when I was shooting with two wonderful friends who were also photographers. The Laughing Gull was in its finest breeding plumage and was standing on the sand near the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Herring Gull Portrait – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This Herring Gull was photographed at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida as it rested near a quiet tidal lagoon. I wanted to try for something a little different than a normal portrait when I took this image. I hope it worked. Granted the bill isn’t showing but I love how the eye of this Herring Gull stands out so well.<\/p>\n

\"Ring-billedRing-billed Gull portrait\u00a0– Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1500, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I was in the water when I photographed this Ring-billed Gull’s portrait in Florida, the warm Gulf waters felt great on my skin as I inched closer to the gull. I was able to get the portrait images I wanted and slowly backed away from the gull without disturbing it.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull portrait on Antelope Island State Park – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

What can I tell you about this portrait of a California Gull here in Utah? I love the breeding plumage and the clear white head California Gulls have during the breeding season, the dark eyes and the colorful bills. I also like the smooth background which is actually a rocky hillside.<\/p>\n

Does this California Gull image look like it was taken while it was perched on a trash bin at Antelope Island State Park? Well, it was. Yeah, I know, people think of them as trash birds. But this isn’t a trashy picture. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my gull photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I like gulls. I especially like being able to see them up close when the opportunities arise and will take advantage of my close proximity by taking portraits of these beautiful but often disliked birds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1299,27,520,25,188,410,26],"tags":[1589,4333,4142,3539,521,4230,4264,4317,3995,4160,3980,4046,4746,4468],"class_list":["post-13782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-herring-gulls","category-avian","category-california-gulls","category-florida","category-laughing-gulls-gulls","category-ring-billed-gulls","category-utah","tag-herring-gull","tag-california-gull","tag-close-up","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-larus-californicus","tag-larus-delawarensis","tag-larus-smithsonianus","tag-laughing-gull","tag-leucophaeus-atricilla","tag-pinellas-county","tag-portrait","tag-portraits","tag-ring-billed-gull"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/laughing-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5874.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3Ai","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":107330,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/10\/17\/calling-ring-billed-gull-tongue\/","url_meta":{"origin":13782,"position":0},"title":"Calling Ring-billed Gull Tongue","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Late last month I had the opportunity to take portraits of a calling Ring-billed Gull while I was looking for birds at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling Ring-billed Gull showing its tongue, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ring-billed-gull-calling-close-up-mia-mcpherson-6024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ring-billed-gull-calling-close-up-mia-mcpherson-6024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ring-billed-gull-calling-close-up-mia-mcpherson-6024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ring-billed-gull-calling-close-up-mia-mcpherson-6024.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119345,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/26\/ring-billed-gull-portrait-and-my-sense-of-humor\/","url_meta":{"origin":13782,"position":1},"title":"Ring-billed Gull Portrait And My Sense Of Humor","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing this day after Christmas Ring-billed Gull portrait this this morning. I know a lot of people don't like gulls. I will never be one of those people.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Day after Christmas Ring-billed Gull portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ring-billed-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-1643.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ring-billed-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-1643.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ring-billed-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-1643.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ring-billed-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-1643.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":107838,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/11\/08\/winter-california-and-herring-gull-comparison-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":13782,"position":2},"title":"Winter California And American Herring Gull Comparison In Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Since I frequently get asked which is which I thought this would be a good time to do a winter California and American Herring Gull comparison and ID feature post.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Herring Gull - California Gull Comparison and ID Features, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":136849,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/11\/15\/my-arkansas-american-herring-gull-sighting\/","url_meta":{"origin":13782,"position":3},"title":"My Arkansas American Herring Gull Sighting","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This past week, I had my first ever Arkansas American Herring Gull sighting. I was outdoors when several of these gulls were high overhead, too high for photos.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Herring Gull in nonbreeding plumage flying by, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119650,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/13\/california-gull-a-misnamed-gull-species\/","url_meta":{"origin":13782,"position":4},"title":"California Gull – A Misnamed Gull Species","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As I photographed a winter California Gull at my local pond two days ago, I thought about how these gulls are a misnamed species for the umpteenth time.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Portrait of a California Gull calling in spring, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109376,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/06\/immature-herring-gull-testing-the-ice\/","url_meta":{"origin":13782,"position":5},"title":"Immature American Herring Gull Testing The Ice","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"It was January 6, 2021, when I photographed this immature American Herring Gull testing the ice at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature American Herring Gull testing the ice, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/herring-gull-immature-ice-mia-mcpherson-4236.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/herring-gull-immature-ice-mia-mcpherson-4236.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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