On Loch Leven #1

[Donald]

Is this Donald breaking our in a completely new direction? Probably not, but it was fun.

Went down to Loch Leven, which is just a few miles from home, early this morning. Idea was just to see what the low winter sun was doing on the loch and surrounding countryside. As I wandered around, I spotted a pair of swans feeding quite close into the shore. Thought I'd just sit there on the wet ground (forgot the ground-sheet) and see what happened.

I've got another I want to process. I'll post it up later. EDIT - And now I have. This is it.

But this is so far outside my normal sort of thing, I'd love to read your reaction.


40D, Sigma 120-400 F4.5-5.6 APO DG OS @ 352mm. ISO 100. 1/60@f11.

[Bobobird]

It sure is not the usual.

I think you made a good choice to move off the usual and did a soft one instead. Projects very well our mental image of swans as nice soft lovable birds. Though in reality they can be pretty bitchy.

[jprzybyla]

Donald, nature...just smiles. I like it, the softness and what appears to be white vignette leading ones eye to the swan. I would like to see the SOOC image of the swan before post processing. Nicely done Donald.

[Donald]

Bobo

You're right about them being not-so-nice at times. Just before I walked along, a lady had passed by with her dog. This swan spotted it and was ready for a fight if needs be.

Thanks Joe - This is the RAW file. As you can see, I haven't done very much in PP. B & W conversion was with Silver Efex Pro2.

[jprzybyla]

The RAW has the same feel as the final. A foggy day?

[PBelarge]

I love how you were able to see how to work the light presented to you. These kinds of images work so well, because different people see things differently and this kind of image allows all to see it. I like the conversion to B&W and the softness as well.

I am curious if you had other images from the same location that day?

[Donald]

The RAW has the same feel as the final. A foggy day?

No, Joe. It was a brilliantly bright morning with a very low full winter sun almost straight into the camera. I also shot a number of frames to throw the bird into almost silhoutte against the water and I was shooting these at 1/2000th. Am stil working on one of those.

I love how you were able to see how to work the light presented to you. These kinds of images work so well, because different people see things differently and this kind of image allows all to see it. I like the conversion to B&W and the softness as well.

I am curious if you had other images from the same location that day?

Pierre - As I note above, yes I do have others. I am working on these now.

Thank you for commenting.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Very nice Donald. I'm always a fan of this style of capture and lighting and the way you have the water leading up to the swan I think works brilliantly.

[ChrisH]

I like the misty effect Donald. Swans aren't always easy to shoot (with a camera that is). With close ups I find you have to get low to the ground to get effective shots, which you have succeeded in doing very well.

[Donald]

Mal, Chris

Thanks for posting up a comment. It was nice to just sit there, with my eye against the viewfinder (I usually work with LiveView) following this bird as it drifted around. Very therapeutic. It was the quietness and a stillness that prompted the idea of trying this high approach.

[Steve S]

You better watch taking photos of wildlife, you might get addicted. (spending large sums of money on long glass) Very nice high key donald. Just a thought, but i wonder if it would look better with the background toned down just a touch?

[Donald]

You better watch taking photos of wildlife, you might get addicted. (spending large sums of money on long glass) Very nice high key donald. Just a thought, but i wonder if it would look better with the background toned down just a touch?

I'm open to any and all suggestions, Steve. I'm very much the new boy at this. I'll try what you suggest as see what happens

[Steve S]

Made a layer mask with the threashold tool...............curves tool , pulled the top right corner down a little bit. Just enough to take the glare off the background.


Forgot to mention, don't forget to put a 3pix blur on the mask (i didn't do it here....forgot)

[Donald]

Subtle but very effective. Thanks Steve. I've now put the new version, incorporating your wonderful bit of teaching, up onto my own website here

That bit of knowledge is now filed away in the learning bank.

[RockNGoalStar]

This is very clever photography. You've achieved a very cool effect and not only that, you managed to do it all of the 'hard work' in camera.

Well played!

[Jack R Mann]

Great shots Bobo!! I like the softness.

[Donald]

Tommy, Jack - Thanks for your comments (Yep, Jack it's me, not BoBo)

... You've achieved a very cool effect and not only that, you managed to do it all of the 'hard work' in camera.

If truth be told the idea came about by accident. I was trying to get myself organised and fired off a frame with the settings all wrong. I looked at it on the back screen and thought, "Mmm, now there's an idea". So I gave it a bit more attention and this was the result.

[Flurry]

Love this!

[annie5154]

Very dreamy image ... love it Donald, well done

[jeeperman]

Dang Donald I missed this somehow! Very nice...I love it! Well done.