How to Photograph Loons: 10 Tips
20th September 2025
How to Photograph Loons
1. Ethics of Approaching and Photographing Loons
2. Where to find loons?
3. Should I share locations online or social media??
4. When do loon chicks hatch?
5. Use a kayak
6. If you have to shoot from land
7. Interesting Behaviors
Mother Feeding Her Chick
Chick sleeping while riding on mother loon's back
The adults can tackle bigger prey if they are just feeding themselves
Wing Stretch
8. Lens
9. Exposure Tips: Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO
10. Lighting
Dramatic at sunset/sunrise reflected light
Keep sun behind you, instead of shooting into it. Unless you intentionally want backlighting and a silhoutted loon.
Cloudy is even an more forgiving and can shoot all day, but relying on something interesting to happen.
Fog
1. Ethics of Approaching and Photographing Loons
2. Where to find loons?
3. Should I share locations online or social media??
4. When do loon chicks hatch?
5. Use a kayak
6. If you have to shoot from land
7. Interesting Behaviors
Mother Feeding Her Chick
Chick sleeping while riding on mother loon's back
The adults can tackle bigger prey if they are just feeding themselves
Wing Stretch
8. Lens
9. Exposure Tips: Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO
10. Lighting
Dramatic at sunset/sunrise reflected light
Keep sun behind you, instead of shooting into it. Unless you intentionally want backlighting and a silhoutted loon.
Cloudy is even an more forgiving and can shoot all day, but relying on something interesting to happen.
Fog