Gray Days, Colorful Birds: Photographing Shorebirds in Mist and Fog
Fish Haul Beach on Port Royal Sound is a place of shifting landscapes—where the tides pull and reshape the sandbars, where the water and sky often dissolve into one. On a February afternoon, under a heavy gray sky, the mist settles low, softening the horizon. The usual bright contrast of shorebirds against sunlit waves is gone, replaced by a muted, seamless world of grays and silvers.
For many, this might not seem like an ideal day for bird photography. But these quiet, misty moments offer a different kind of magic. The flat light eliminates harsh shadows, allowing for a true-to-life capture of details in feathers and subtle tonal shifts in the water. The fog creates an ethereal backdrop, and the soft colors of the scene draw attention to the birds themselves—the way they move, feed, and interact.
Lying flat on the wet sand, camera at eye level with plovers and sandpipers, you become part of this world. The receding tide reveals mudflats teeming with life, where seabirds and shorebirds forage in the shallows. In the soft, diffused light, the usual distractions of strong shadows and high contrast disappear, allowing the delicate details and colors of the birds to stand out. The subtle russet and brown feathers of a Ruddy Turnstone, set against its striking orange legs, take on a new vibrancy. Even the varying shades of brown in a Marbled Godwit’s plumage—warm ochres, sandy tans, and deeper chestnut streaks—come alive against the gray backdrop. These details, often muted or lost in the dramatic contrasts of predawn or golden hour photography, emerge vividly in the soft, even light. Photographing in these conditions requires a different approach—one that embraces the subtle beauty of the birds and the quiet drama of the landscape.
In this post, I’ll share tips for capturing compelling bird photography on gray, misty days, from camera settings to composition techniques that make the most of the Lowcountry’s shifting shoreline.
Aesthetic Tips: Composing Stunning Bird Photos in Gray Light
Embrace Minimalism – Misty, overcast conditions naturally strip away distractions, making it easier to compose clean, simple images. Use the soft background to highlight the shape, color, and movement of the bird.
Look for Subtle Contrast – While the overall scene may feel muted, the birds’ details—like the pattern on a Ruddy Turnstone’s back or the curve of a godwit’s bill—will stand out more against the soft gray tones. Position yourself to maximize this effect.
Work with Reflections – On still water or wet sand, reflections can add depth and symmetry to your shots. Low tide on the mudflats is a perfect time to capture birds mirrored in shallow pools.
Capture Behavior and Movement – Overcast days are ideal for focusing on behavior. The softer light makes it easier to expose details correctly, so aim to photograph birds preening, foraging, or interacting with each other.
Utilize Negative Space – The vast expanse of gray water and sky can be a compositional advantage. Placing the bird off-center in a wide, open frame can create a sense of solitude and moodiness.
Go Low for an Intimate Perspective – Shooting at eye level with shorebirds not only makes the viewer feel immersed in the scene but also helps blur the foreground and background, creating a dreamy, soft-focus effect.
General Technical Tips for Bird Photography
1. Master Your Autofocus Settings
Use Continuous Autofocus (AF-C) – Birds move unpredictably, so AF-C ensures the camera continuously adjusts focus as they shift.
Enable Subject Tracking – If your camera supports Animal Eye AF, use it to lock onto a bird’s eye for sharp focus.
Experiment with AF Area Modes – Try Wide-Area AF for larger birds and Dynamic or Single Point AF for smaller, fast-moving subjects.
2. Optimize Shutter Speed for Sharpness
For perched or slow-moving birds → 1/500s to 1/1000s
For birds in motion → At least 1/2000s to 1/4000s
For birds in flight → =1/4000s + (I am not afraid to bump this number up!)
3. Use the Right Aperture for Depth of Field
Wide open (f/2.8 to f/4 - depends on your lens ) – Isolates the bird from the background, creating a pleasing blur (bokeh).
Stopped down (f/8 to f/11) – Useful when photographing groups of birds or when more depth of field is needed.
4. Adjust ISO for Light Conditions
Bright conditions → Keep ISO low (ISO 100–400) for maximum image quality.
Overcast or low light → Increase ISO (ISO 800–1600), especially if a faster shutter speed is needed.
Don’t be afraid of high ISO – Modern cameras like the Z9 handle ISO 3200+ well, and noise can be reduced in post-processing.
5. Fine-Tune Exposure with Compensation
Increase exposure (+0.3 to +1.0 EV) when photographing birds against bright backgrounds like the sky or water.
Decrease exposure (-0.3 EV or more) when shooting dark birds against lighter backgrounds to retain details.
6. Use Burst Mode for Action Shots
Set your camera to high-speed continuous shooting (10–20 fps on the Z9) to capture the perfect wing position or behavior.
7. Consider Composition and Framing
Use the Rule of Thirds – Position the bird slightly off-center for a more dynamic shot.
Leave Space for Movement – Frame birds with room in front of them so they don’t feel “trapped” in the image.
Get Low for Eye-Level Shots – This creates an intimate perspective and improves background blur.
8. Shoot in RAW for Maximum Flexibility
RAW files allow for better post-processing, especially when recovering shadows or adjusting color tones.
9. Practice Good Handholding or Use a Support
Use Proper Handholding Technique – Tuck your elbows in and stabilize the lens with your left hand.
Use a Skimmer Pod, Monopod or Bean Bag (I used my backpack!) – Helps when shooting from low angles for extended periods.
10. Post-Processing Tips
Adjust exposure, contrast, texture, and white balance to bring out details.
Apply noise reduction if using high ISO.
Slightly increase sharpness on the bird’s eye and feathers for a crisp final image.
Use Masking in Post-Processing for Precise Adjustments
Post-processing tools like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and DXO PhotoLab offer AI-powered masking that allows you to make targeted edits to just the bird without affecting the background.
Select Subject – In Lightroom, use the "Select Subject" mask (or manually brush over the bird) to isolate it from the background.
Enhance Details – Apply sharpness, clarity, and texture to bring out feather details.
Adjust Exposure – If the bird is too dark or light, fine-tune brightness without altering the sky or water.
Boost Color Naturally – Slightly increase vibrance or saturation to emphasize subtle tones in the plumage without making it look unnatural.
Noise Reduction – Apply noise reduction only to the background to keep the bird’s details crisp while smoothing out distractions.
By using selective masking, you can bring out the best in your subject while maintaining a soft, natural background—perfect for enhancing those colorful shorebirds on gray days!
Conclusion: Finding Color in the Gray
Photographing shorebirds on overcast, misty days might seem like a challenge, but it’s an opportunity to see their colors in a new way. The soft, even light enhances the intricate patterns of their feathers, while the gray backdrop removes distractions, allowing their russet tones, golden highlights, and warm earth hues to shine.
I was reminded of this while photographing Black Skimmers in flight, their striking black-and-white markings and vivid orange-red beaks standing out against the seamless blend of sea and sky. As they lifted from the sandbar and glided low over the glass-like water, skimming the surface with precision, their movements became a mesmerizing contrast to the soft, misty landscape. Watching them feed along the outskirts of the marsh grasses as the tide receded, I saw how the muted tones of a gray day can create an incredible canvas—one that makes moments like these even more dramatic.
By fine-tuning camera settings, composing with intention, and using post-processing tools like selective masking, you can create striking, detailed images that showcase the beauty of these birds in subtle yet powerful ways. Next time the sky turns gray, embrace the conditions—there’s more color in the scene than you might expect.