This is just a single image post to keep to the point. In Kruger National Park there are a number of low-level bridges crossing various rivers where you can often witness the wildlife from close quarters. This was one of those occasions where the bridge over the Sands River near Skukuza has a Striated Heron in residence. The Heron has perfected a technique for catching copious quantities of small fish amongst the swirling waters passing under bridge.

I captured some fairly standard shots of successful catches but wanted to try to do something a little different. The decision was made to try to portray the flowing water whilst keeping the bird nice and sharp, something that usually dictates using a tripod, but a tripod could not be used here. This entailed using a 1/8 second shutter speed whilst leaning out of the car window hand-holding a 500mm lens, a combination fraught with difficulties. This would certainly show movement in the water but any shake, movement by myself or the bird will kill the photo. Needless to say, the majority of shots were blurred beyond use but every now and then a good image was taken. One of the real benefits of modern digital photography is the ability to assess the success of an image immediately, so helpful in situations such as this.