Tag Archives: Waterfowl

Photography

Swans Revisited

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The above photo is the combination of early morning lighting and a good pose by the Swans.I was able to frame this pair of swans with golden reflections in the water.I always try to capture these birds in action,whether it is preening or dipping heads into the water.

To get these types of shots means many trips to where the subjects are whether it is wildlife or landscapes.Every trip is different,the lighting changes and there are opportunities for different poses.

I shot the above photo at 1/100 sec at f13 and the zoom at 112mm

I love taken tight shots of these swans showing the breast,neck and head.There is so much detail in the feathers to be had here.The black beak is a strong point.You must always get a glint in the eye to make these photos work.You will also will note a drop of water coming off the bill.This adds to the story that the swan has just dipped its bill into the water and you will observe that there is ice on its bill also.This will tell you that it is cold at the time I took the photo.The actual temperature that morning was -25 C

I shot this photo at 1/125 sec at f10 with a zoom setting of 100mm.

The above photo is a result of the swan coming and laying down beside.I shot this one in a horizontal format to show the curves in the swans body and the intricate detail of the feathers.You can just make out the background that tells you it is frosty and winter time.

There is a glint in the eye to add character and I shot this photo at 1/30 sec at f16 with the zoom set to 135 mm.I also converted the above shot to Black and White.

I went back to Fielding’s Park the other day but the swans had left.The ice had closed in too much so that the swans could not fly in.I watch a pair of swans fly in once and noticed that they needed a large amount of open water to land.

So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Photo Oppurtunities With Swans

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I have had the oppurtunity this past month to photograph Whistling Swans.A short 20 minute drive from home is a lovely park called Fielding Park The park borders  the West end of a lake where a small river runs out.A stretch of this river is open and it is here that you will find 6 of these large Swans.There is also a very large population of Mallards and Black Ducks.The waterfowl are feed every morning by local folks with corn.

The above Swan is named Goofy and she is the most humanized of the Swans.She will come up to me and lay down beside me.This allowed me to capture the above photo from very close range.I shot tight so that your eve will follow the valley between the wings up to the eve and beak.An interesting note is the small feather sticking up by here beak is a result of here breathing.I also wanted to emphasize  the very fine detail of the feathers the Swans have.Goofy also has 2 large yellow tags on here wings that I did not want in the photo.The zoom was set at 132 mm and the shutter speed at 1/500 sec @ f10

The other thing that I look for is various patterns when I am photographing these Swans.They have such beautiful long graceful necks that can create beautiful forms as you photograph.This pair created an inverted T along with nicely arched necks.You will also noticed that there is some feathers out of place that helps to add depth to the photo.I shot the above photo with a zoom setting of 130 mm and the shutter speed set at 1/500 @f13.

You will also notice a piece of ice sticking up from the bill of the Swan in the foreground.The temperature most mornings was -25 C with a wind blowing.

As I was standing on the shore trying to stay warm, I watched the above pair of Swans grooming.The next thing I saw was they were one behind the other creating a  neat pattern that I shot in vertical.The dark colored water allows the Swans to stand out.When I talk about patterns this is a pattern at its best.These Swans have yellow in there heads that add contrast to the photo.I shot the above photo with a zoom setting of 65 mm and the shutter speed set to 1/125 sec @ f10.

I will continue this series on the Swans next week and  until then happy trails.