There are some photos that I’m not sure are going to happen. This is one of them:
And another:
These are our new cygnets. I thought there was a nest this year, but I wasn’t certain. The weather was a bit different from last year, and the vegetation around the lake has grown up in a different way. Last year’s next I could clearly see from the shore. This year I was only guessing. Last year’s clutch was very successful, six healthy offspring, this year I have spotted four.
Generally, when I set out to photograph these swans, I take my 70-200mm lens. You will see that for these photos, the lens is at 70mm, the swans are incredibly close, particularly when you consider that this lake is on a path that is frequented by a lot of people and dogs. I chose these two images to edit in part because, despite the fact they were taken at the same time, the color of the water appears different. As far as edits go, for this round I have chosen to stay very close to the original exposures, the images have been cropped and sharpened.
Was I excited to see them? You bet! Here is a photo from the day I first spotted them:
Do you like my true to life edits? Do you have new neighbors this Spring? Feel free to comment below.
Cheers!
Added to Tuesday Photo Challenge: New
Nice shots of these beautifully elegant birds 🙂
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Thanks very much 🙂
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Oh swans are always such a delight to see! Beautiful captures!
When we arrived at the LakeHouse this past month we found squatters had taken up residence in our garage! What a mess they made! 😳
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Yuk, nothing like coming home to a mess!
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Ah! they are so cute.
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They really are. We have a lot of young ducks this year as well.
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The swans from this area have all migrated. I miss them 😦
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That’s too bad!
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One of the most thrilling things is seeing new babies in nature every spring. I’ve been following a group of Canada geese and their little ones when I play golf at a particular course. They’re adorable. I love the swans and their offspring. Great job capturing them. What a treat!
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Yes, we have a lot of ducks this year as well (more than other years) so the lake is really overrun with young birds. I guess a golf course would be a good place to raise a young family as well 🙂
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Except when they’re on the green and you are trying to putt! I’m serious. They don’t move.
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I’d believe that they seem like the kind of birds that wouldn’t be easily chased off.
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They don’t move, unless the ball is coming right at them. It’s sort of funny.
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🙂
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Oh, so lovely! Thank you for sharing, Amy. 🙂
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Thank you Amy.
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These warm my heart Amy. The fluffy little ones against the elegant adults. Beautifully edited.
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They have been spending a lot of time near the lake edge so we get a close up look of just how fluffy 🙂 They are also growing really quickly.
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Lovely to see the cygnets Amy! 😃💖
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Yes, I was so excited when they emerged from the reeds last week.
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I can understand that you were excited about the swans. And you captured some beautiful images.
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Thank you very much, I enjoy staking out this lake every year.
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Love them.
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They are a welcome sight.
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They are adorable, beautiful creatures! Again this year, I have a mama deer and her 2 fawns spending a lot of time in my back yard fence line. It’s a thick brush type are that I leave alone for them to use. No photos yet, but I’ve seen mama and her spotted babies several times. Thanks for sharing!
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How nice to have them that close. Hopefully, you will get some photos, but I can completely understand if you are leaving them be for the time being 🙂
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Lovely captures, indeed! The featured image is especially well done. The composition is classic, the clarity is spot on–down to the nostrils on the bills of the cygnets. I prefer the coolness of the blue tones in the water, played against the ripples and reflections. Enjoying your blog!
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Thank you very much for your kind comments and for visiting here 🙂
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Pingback: Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 114 – Dutch goes the Photo!
I loved your observation that the water was different colored in the two photos. Didn’t notice until you mentioned it, Amy!
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Yeah, interesting isn’t it? just a question of where I was standing.
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Water. The color is more complicated than we think. I was just reading about that in the cloud book I’ve been working through. Blueness of glaciers and very deep lakes, comes from the water molecules themselves. Hmmm.
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Yes, water is something that I think a lot of photographers enjoy photographing because there are so many variants there.
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You are right!
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wow, it’s so lovely.
Thanks for sharing such beautiful photos
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