Swans
There has been a family of Swans on one of the lakes at the local nature reserve that I have loved watching in the evening as the sun sets over them. Watching them through the viewfinder is stunning to watch the atmosphere change from sunset warmth to cold dusk. Then I began noticing other Swans about the reserve and photographing them more... and some more... Before I knew it, I was taking many opportunities to get more images of them. So here are a few images that I have taken in the last few days of these majestic birds. It may be that this becomes a bit of a project to attempt new images!
Setting sun back lighting the Swan.
This Swan swam towards us whilst the light hit the water creating a pink water.
3 of the cygnets that are now "all grown up" taken just after the sun dropped below the trees and hedgerow.
Taken after the sun had set, the light changed to give a darker kind of atmosphere. This image was framed through a fence with a hedgerow growing over it and through to give the darker areas to the right and bottom left. This was then emphasised with a vignette later.
I can't make my mind up about this image... In my mind, this image looked amazing. But then I looked at it on the computer and I had that slight sinking feeling you get when it didn't quite work. Maybe I would have to try again.
As I was walking down a roadway with lakes on both sides, I could see a Swan through the hedgerow on the lake. To get an out of focus image with the Swan in the middle (something I am still trying to perfect), I used the hedgerow and found a gap in it to produce this with the blur on the left and top right.
This is a weird photo where I was just playing about really. I had an image and dropped the exposure, blacks and shadows and upped the highlights to give a "low key" image.
A cygnet and mother from one of the families on the reserve. I believe the female was posturing at me and began swimming towards me. At this point I moved away: not to protect myself but I didn't want to overstay my welcome and cause unnecessary disturbance. I don't know if it was a threat to me or not?
This is the father of the cygnet in the above image. He too began posturing but didn't really come close. Beautiful birds when they display like this.
This is the same female that began posturing after she dropped her wings slightly. After taking this image, I left them to it.
This morning, the light was stunning around the reserve whilst I was helping out at a bird count with the volunteer bird group - so much so that I had to pack the camera away for fear of being completely distracted and not counting any birds! Here is an image of the light playing on the mist over the reedbeds and Hawthorn brush that is home to so many stunning species.
Lastly, I thought I would include an image of a Cormorant backlit. To many, this'll just be a weird backlit image that is disliked. However, this sums up how I see wildlife when I am out and about - looking through the hedgerows (the out of focus shadow around the borders), over the reeds to the water of the lakes on a glorious late summer/early autumn morning. Bliss.
Matt
Setting sun back lighting the Swan.
This Swan swam towards us whilst the light hit the water creating a pink water.
3 of the cygnets that are now "all grown up" taken just after the sun dropped below the trees and hedgerow.
Taken after the sun had set, the light changed to give a darker kind of atmosphere. This image was framed through a fence with a hedgerow growing over it and through to give the darker areas to the right and bottom left. This was then emphasised with a vignette later.
I can't make my mind up about this image... In my mind, this image looked amazing. But then I looked at it on the computer and I had that slight sinking feeling you get when it didn't quite work. Maybe I would have to try again.
As I was walking down a roadway with lakes on both sides, I could see a Swan through the hedgerow on the lake. To get an out of focus image with the Swan in the middle (something I am still trying to perfect), I used the hedgerow and found a gap in it to produce this with the blur on the left and top right.
This is a weird photo where I was just playing about really. I had an image and dropped the exposure, blacks and shadows and upped the highlights to give a "low key" image.
A cygnet and mother from one of the families on the reserve. I believe the female was posturing at me and began swimming towards me. At this point I moved away: not to protect myself but I didn't want to overstay my welcome and cause unnecessary disturbance. I don't know if it was a threat to me or not?
This is the father of the cygnet in the above image. He too began posturing but didn't really come close. Beautiful birds when they display like this.
This is the same female that began posturing after she dropped her wings slightly. After taking this image, I left them to it.
This morning, the light was stunning around the reserve whilst I was helping out at a bird count with the volunteer bird group - so much so that I had to pack the camera away for fear of being completely distracted and not counting any birds! Here is an image of the light playing on the mist over the reedbeds and Hawthorn brush that is home to so many stunning species.
Lastly, I thought I would include an image of a Cormorant backlit. To many, this'll just be a weird backlit image that is disliked. However, this sums up how I see wildlife when I am out and about - looking through the hedgerows (the out of focus shadow around the borders), over the reeds to the water of the lakes on a glorious late summer/early autumn morning. Bliss.
Matt
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