{"id":3064,"date":"2011-09-06T17:01:16","date_gmt":"2011-09-06T23:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=3064"},"modified":"2025-08-24T12:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T17:10:47","slug":"american-oystercatcher-in-pre-daw-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/09\/06\/american-oystercatcher-in-pre-daw-light\/","title":{"rendered":"American Oystercatcher In Pre-dawn Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican Oystercatcher with the pastel colors of dawn –\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/320, ISO 400, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 300mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0love to photograph in pre-dawn light because of the\u00a0subtle almost pastel tones that can be captured at that time of the morning. There is just enough light at that time so I don’t need to use extremely high ISO’s which can introduce\u00a0unnecessary (and unwanted) noise or flash, which I very rarely use.<\/p>\n

One important thing to be aware of is that pre-dawn light only last for a few minutes in most cases.<\/p>\n

The sun is low enough to cast light over the subject but it has not risen above the horizon and the golden hues often found right after sunrise have not happened yet.<\/p>\n

In the photo above the American Oystercatcher was feeding in a tidal pool with a small strip of sand between the tidal pool and the Gulf of Mexico as I laid down at the edge of the pool of water to get a low perspective.<\/p>\n

The water was very still because there wasn’t even a light sea breeze blowing at the time\u00a0so the only movement of the water was caused by the bird moving through the water in a slow manner which combined with my low angle created a smooth but diffused reflection of the bird.<\/p>\n

I processed this image carefully so that it retained the look and feel of\u00a0the pre-dawn light and I really appreciate the pastel tones of the tidal pool, the strip of sand and the water of the Gulf in the background.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Oystercatcher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love to photograph in pre-dawn light because of the subtle almost pastel tones that can be captured at that time of the morning. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153329,"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":[19,27,25,704],"tags":[4004,3974,4021,37,4153,4077,22,4036,5988,3816,941,4234,3996],"class_list":["post-3064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-oystercatchers","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","tag-adult","tag-american-oystercatcher","tag-bird-photography","tag-florida-2","tag-fort-de-soto-county-park","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-haematopus-palliatus","tag-low-angle","tag-oystercatcher","tag-oystercatchers","tag-pastels","tag-pre-dawn-light","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-pastel-colors-dawn-mia-mcpherson-4886.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Nq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":70033,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/16\/photographing-a-foraging-american-oystercatcher-in-the-first-light-of-dawn\/","url_meta":{"origin":3064,"position":0},"title":"Photographing A Foraging American Oystercatcher In The First Light Of Dawn","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The soft light of dawn has a special quality to it and I believe that it is evident in both of these American Oystercatcher photos.","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Oystercatcher foraging in the light of dawn, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-foraging-dawn-mia-mcpherson-4885.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-foraging-dawn-mia-mcpherson-4885.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-foraging-dawn-mia-mcpherson-4885.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-foraging-dawn-mia-mcpherson-4885.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":153665,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/08\/29\/american-oystercatcher-images-from-florida\/","url_meta":{"origin":3064,"position":1},"title":"American Oystercatcher Images From Florida","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I am sharing a group of American Oystercatcher photos today that were taken at Fort De Soto County Park and Egmont Key from when I lived in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Oystercatcher feeding in early morning light, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-feeding-adult-mia-mcpherson-6254.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-feeding-adult-mia-mcpherson-6254.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-feeding-adult-mia-mcpherson-6254.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-feeding-adult-mia-mcpherson-6254.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2497,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/06\/14\/american-oystercatchers\/","url_meta":{"origin":3064,"position":2},"title":"American Oystercatchers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 14, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"American Oystercatchers are fascinating birds to photograph, They can strike unusual poses and their plumage is spectacular in flight. I enjoyed watching them pry open bivalves with their long bill","rel":"","context":"In "American Oystercatchers"","block_context":{"text":"American Oystercatchers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-oystercatchers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Strolling Oystercatcher at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-adult-florida-mia-mcpherson-0345.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/american-oystercatcher-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6183,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/09\/25\/american-oystercatchers-in-florida\/","url_meta":{"origin":3064,"position":4},"title":"American Oystercatchers in Florida","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I 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