Seagull

This seagull was flying next a boat I was on a late and rainy summer

afternoon. The background is normal overcasted sky and I use a tele

and a flash. How did I get the subtle shadows in front of the wings?

It probably isn't a shadow since there was only sky as background?

Has it to do with the bird that moved and the flash catched only part

of the exposure time?

Bad camera shake.

 

An exposure time of perhaps 1/60s or even 1/125s would mean that you get the seagull as dark form against a light sky. The seagull nust have floated backwards if the flash came at the end of your exposure time (or forwards if it came at the beginning). Some of its naturally lit dark form remains visible at the edges of the flash-lit image.

Perhaps as there was a bright sky behind the bird what you are seeing is the bird in shadow against the sky in the instant after the flash went off and the shutter closed?

The bird moved then the flash took the better exposed image.

Nice photo whatever the technique, I would like to know exactly how you did it though? Any chance you might do that? Now that I think of it could it be that the bird is actually on its back on a blue background so it is a real shadow and the reason we do not see the wing tips is because they are being extended?