The Morning the Seagull Didn't Take Flight

Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles This photo was taken in the early morning. The sun had just started to rise above the horizon. It projected a kind of grazing light that enhances everything it illuminates. The air was cool; there was only the sound of waves and metal gates opening somewhere down the pier.

I had just begun shooting on my Leica M9 and wanted to check out what this CCD sensor could do with morning light. I chose a 50 mm Summilux-M ASPH, more appreciated as a portrait lens rather than a bird-shot lens. But that morning a lone seagull seemed to volunteer. And it was perched on the turquoise railing and sat and stared at me, serene and calm in the morning light. It was inquisitive and probably expected a breakfast snack from me.

I crouched down, I crawled inch by inch. The bird didn’t move. It cocked its head slightly out of curiosity. That gave me a better angle. The camera clicked softly, once and twice and a dozen times. Each shot a bit closer. And in the morning light, at the low angle of the sun, the blues sprang to life. Sky, sea, railing, each with its own hue. The Leica M9 sensor captured it in its particular way.

The taking of the photograph was a small transaction of trust: gull lending me a moment, and light bringing the scene into existence. It was not the sharpness or detail that impressed you with this image: it was a momentary stillness in which color, chance, and patience united. So despite the wrong lens you may have, life can present rare opportunities.

About the lens: Definitely not a wildlife lens, the Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. It’s a people lens, for a shallow depth of field. It is famous for its soft bokeh and color fidelity. But that morning it really revealed its character, rendering the early morning’s colors of blue and gold, the scene bathed in the softness that only first light permits.