I was driving down the beach road yesterday afternoon and had the itch to photograph some silhouetted shorebirds.Â
There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but I still wanted to give it a try. Â
My hope was to get a Sanderling or Willet silhouetted right against the Sun as it touched the horizon. When I got to the beach, it didn't take long to find a group of Sanderlings working the suds.  I stayed with them for 20 minutes until the Sun sank towards the horizon, and then I went belly down in the wet sand.  Last time I did this, I stayed on my elbows and knees, but this time I went as low as I could go.
Unfortunately the beach had a lot of slope to it and the birds were below the horizon...so a bird against the Sun was not possible. Luckily the Sun provided a great reflection on the water and wet sand to silhouette the birds against.Â
I've been inspired by some amazing wildlife photographers to treat my camera like the tool it is. I'm becoming more and more comfortable putting my gear in questionable situations to get the shot that I see in my head.