Setting for Effect

When looking at a scene , I try to capture the feeling of that moment , highlighting the subject . I very rarely use a flash as I feel it will disturb the wildlife . I use natural light as much as possible. When taking birds on the water I get as low as I can can so you feel your actually on the water with the bird . Using an F Stop to block out the background can be effective . In the following shot I wanted to show the Swans in their natural environment , where the mother is protecting its young and give the viewer an opportunity to see the birds  as a close group . Setup Nikon D7000, Tamron 70-300 , F5.3 , Aperture Priority , 1/800 , 280 mm , ISO 100