Captured in the quiet calm of early morning at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson, NV. The sun had been up for just about an hour, casting a soft golden light across the water and waking the world in gentle warmth. This image was taken around 7 a.m., using a Canon R6 Mark II and the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 lens—an incredible tool for reaching into the distance without disturbing the stillness.
Settings were 1/2000 sec shutter speed, f/10 aperture, and ISO 2000—chosen to freeze motion in the crisp morning light and preserve the delicate balance between shadow and sun.