Bird Watching: "On the Waterfront" - Part 6, 1 by linthicum

linthicum wrote:
You're right about a dark background. However, a dark background can be tricky if the metering picks up the dark background rather than the bird. That's why I use spot metering, especially for white birds. I also need to learn more about setting the focus points on my camera.

This image was snapped right before the first one starting the thread. If the meter focuses on the dark background while I am using Aperture priority, the shutter speed will be slower, thus a washed-out white bird.