As a rule I prefer kayaking for photographs at high tide. There’s really two reasons for this preference. First, I’m simply able to get places with the kayak I can’t at during low tide periods. Secondly, there’s less real estate for shorebirds to occupy during high tide. The birds tend to congrate and are a bit easier to find. All that said there are some advantages to shooting at or near low tide. Perhaps the most obvous reason being that the entire landscape changes. Oyster beds are exposed, as are the tidal flats. The marsh looks like a different place. Below is a photo of a Great Egret feeding in a tidal pool between two exposed oyster beds. It’s definately different than the typical photo of these big wading birds standing in water.