On Loch Leven #2

[Donald]

This is the second one I got out of my visit to Loch Leven this morning, which is near my home. The other one is here. In fact this is the same swan as in that one.

After I got this, I walked down closer to where the swan was feeding and got the one in that other thread. What I also tried for was to get the bird almost in silhouette against the water. Every time it lifted its head out of the water as it was feeding, it took with it a trail of water that dribbled from its mouth. Against the sun, it really sparkled. I put my 40D onto 6fps and fired off several bursts every time it lifted its head. But none of them really worked, so they're all now in File 13 (the bin).

I liked this one though. It's not going to be in line for any major awards, but I felt is was a decent portfolio pic.

Your thoughts are always welcomed.


40D, Sigma 120-400 F4.5-5.6 APO DG OS @214mm. ISO 100. 1/30@f11. 2sec delay c/w Mirror Lock-up.

[dje]

I like it too Donald. It's very tastefully done and there is a nice peaceful mood there. The only thing I'm not sure about is the sky - it looks a tad strange - but it's not a big deal.

Dave

[Bobobird]

I like it very much. The bird shaped tree and the swan facing the same direction makes it a very neat shot. Wish the bird was just a tad larger. Or removing that white line just above the bird might make it standout a bit more.

Is that a diagonal powerline going into the leftmost tip of the "bird" tree?

[Donald]

I like it too Donald. It's very tastefully done and there is a nice peaceful mood there. The only thing I'm not sure about is the sky - it looks a tad strange - but it's not a big deal.

Dave

That's actually a hill rising up some distance behind the trees. With Silver Efex Pro2 I pulled back the 'Structure' slider to remove as much detail as I could so that the attention was very firmly on the fore and middle-ground.

I'm glad you feel it feels like a nice peaceful mood. That is certainly how it was. It's a very quiet place. The only noise is that of the birds (it is a bird reserve) and the grunting and panting of the joggers and runners on the pathway that goes right around the loch (lake).

I like it very much. The bird shaped tree and the swan facing the same direction makes it a very neat shot. Wish the bird was just a tad larger. Or removing that white line just above the bird might make it standout a bit more.

Is that a diagonal powerline going into the leftmost tip of the "bird" tree?

Once I had posted it up I noticed that line for the first time and thought it was a powerline that I hadn't noticed. I zoomed in on it and it's not a powerline. It's a band of darker ground running across the hillside. I've cloned it out on my primary version that's on my own website.

Thanks, guys, for taking the time to comment.

[dje]

Ahh - now I can see the hill, all is clear !!

[ChrisH]

I like this Donald - a very peaceful scene.

[RockNGoalStar]

I like it Donald, I like the different textures you discover as you move through the scene.

If it were my image, I might see what it looked like with a tiny CW rotation to make the bright, reflected streak of water (intersecting the swan) and the bank, which is parallel to it, horizontal. I appreciate that this image may be level already, I am not saying that it isn't, but I just feel that as it is everything is leaning ever so slightly toward the left. It maye not add / change anything for the better. But it might be worth having a look.

Good stuff

[Donald]

Chris, Tommy - Thanks for commenting.

I like the different textures you discover as you move through the scene.

That's what struck me about it when I first saw it. The swan was a 'bonus'. I saw it coming in from my right and managed to get the shot composed. Then it was a case of just waiting and hoping it would swim to somewhere in the frame that gave me a good image. Luckily it obliged.

I don't think it would work as well without the swan. It would be an okay sort-of image. But I think the swan, albeit it is only a very small part of the image, makes it.

a tiny CW rotation to make the bright, reflected streak of water (intersecting the swan) and the bank, which is parallel to it, horizontal.

I'll try that and see what effect it has.

[annie5154]

Another lovely capture Donald, very serene looking

[Donald]

Another lovely capture Donald, very serene looking

Thank you Annie. I'm glad that 'serene' is a mood it conveys. It means I've made a decent job of capturing what it was really like at the time.