{
  "id": 15382777,
  "title": "High above a California cliff colony, a Brandt’s cormorant flew in with a beakful of surfgrass. Kevin Lohman slowed his camera’s shutter to turn the moment into a dramatic picture",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/high-above-a-california-cliff-colony-a-brandts-cormorant-flew-in-with",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-18T08:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digital Camera World",
    "slug": "digital-camera-world",
    "url": "https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/photography/nature-and-wildlife-photography/high-above-a-california-cliff-colony-a-brandts-cormorant-flew-in-with-a-beakful-of-surfgrass-kevin-lohman-slowed-his-shutter-to-turn-the-moment-into-a-dramatic-picture"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a striking image, a Brandt’s cormorant was captured soaring in from above a cliff colony clutching a bundle of surfgrass. Photographer Kevin Lohman achieved this dramatic effect by intentionally using a slow shutter speed and panning with the bird as it flew. Lohman, a local resident of Santa Cruz, California, describes the shot as taken from a public walkway above a Brandt’s cormorant colony. To achieve the shallow depth of field, he slowed his shutter speed to 1/100sec while panning, which blurred the wings of the bird but kept its head and the grass bundle crisp. Lohman used a Nikon Z9 with the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens, set at 1/100sec, f/2.8, and ISO 1100. The resulting photograph earned an honorable mention in the Plants for Birds category of the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards. Lohman explains that the blurred wings in the clouds add an ethereal quality to the photo, creating a sense of tranquility. The image highlights the connection between the ocean and the cliff, emphasizing the cormorants' reliance on marine vegetation like surfgrass for nest-building. The restrained color palette of dark plumage, cool blue-grey surroundings, and a burst of green and gold from the surfgrass makes the focal point of the photograph. Lohman hopes the image will draw attention to the effort involved in the cormorants' nesting behavior and the importance of preserving coastal ecosystems. The Audubon Photography Awards, a 17-year-old contest organized by the National Audubon Society, celebrates photos capturing the beauty of birds and the challenges they face.",
  "summary": "Kevin Lohman used a classic panning technique to make a nest-building cormorant look weightless",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}