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Himba village, Nambia, October 2021
As a followup to last year's "Dances with Swans" I have added a new wildlife gallery consisting of recent trumpeter swan photos taken near the Eagle River Nature Center. The collection is appropriately titled "Dances with Swans, Part Deux." Additionally, I added my favorite image to the online store.
It's always reassuring when I have an image trending on National Geographic's website. This swan photo from yesterday evening is currently one of the most popular on the Your Shot page.
Sleeping Beauties - I can only imagine that migrating across the continent is physically exhausting. Last night I watched this pair of trumpeter swans preen and then curl up and go to sleep on the water. This is likely just a stop on their journey to summer nesting grounds.
A sure sign of spring - the trumpeter swans have returned! They've arrived a few days earlier this year. Last spring I spent countless hours with this pair and captured some beautiful moments; I plan to celebrate their elegance and grace once again.
It seems that the pair of trumpeter swans that has been hanging around the Eagle River Nature Center has moved on, probably northward to better nesting grounds. In the two and a half weeks they were here, I spent countless hours with them and am grateful for the quality time we had together and the beautiful opportunities they presented. I have gathered my favorite moments into this collection, appropriately titled "Dances with Swans." Enjoy...
I truly believe that seeing the world from the perspective of your subject is paramount to creating intimate portraits of wildlife.
I had a brief visit with the swans this morning as I had to be to work in the visitor center at 10 am. The sunlight hadn’t come around the mountain yet and I was running short on time when I saw this image line up. The mountains across the valley were glowing in the sunshine, casting a golden reflection on the water. I got myself into position just before this swan spread its wings, giving me a parting shot before I had to be on my way.
With the number of hours I've spent with these swans over these past couple weeks, not only are they getting used to my presence, I believe they're actually starting to like me. This one looked pretty happy to see me when I showed up today during feeding time.
This pair of trumpeter swans has been here for over two weeks now, allowing me to spend quite a bit of quality time with them. After taking hundreds of photos, the challenge is to consistently come up with something new and innovative. By studying their behavior and combining elements in the surrounding environment, I was able to create a unique composition this morning.
Once again, I began the day with solitude and swans and cannot, for the life of me, think of a more positive way to spend a morning. For three hours I watched this pair feeding and preening themselves; waiting for the light, the scene, the perfect opportunity to present itself to capture the image I had in my mind’s eye. With the amount of time I’ve spent observing and photographing these two recently, I am beginning to recognize behavioral patterns and anticipate situations, thus placing myself in the right position for moments like these.
I like to start my day with swans - no news stories, no list of tasks to accomplish, no pressure - just swans. This pair of trumpeters arrived more than a week ago; whether they will continue northward or nest here remains to be seen. I’ve been watching them nearly every day and rather than pursuing, I’ve waited for the right light, the right situation, the right feeling for another photo session.
Shortly after arriving this morning, with nobody else in sight, the swans floated down the creek in my direction and preened themselves in the shallow pool right in front of me. They didn’t seem the least bit startled as I made my way to the water’s edge, knelt down and began to photograph. After spending some quality time with me they swam away, going about their routine uninterrupted and I continued on my way, feeling a sense of calm.
When I am exploring, it is my priority to walk lightly on the earth, both literally and metaphorically speaking. I do my best not to leave a mark or impose on the subjects I photograph. Today, however, was a lesson in patience…
I was up with the sun again, this time to photograph the trumpeter swans that recently arrived at the Nature Center. After hiking out to the location where I encountered them yesterday morning, I found the pair immediately and set up my camera with telephoto lens (200-400mm). Initially, they were tolerant of my presence and I began making images while they preened themselves in the shallow water. Suddenly, they became uncomfortable and began to swim away. Rather than sit back and allow them grow accustomed to me, I took off in zealous pursuit, causing them to take flight.
This wasn’t sitting well with me, knowing I had disrupted their routine. After some careful thought, I began walking home and decided I should take a look near the viewing decks to see if I might spot them again. Fortunately, they hadn’t flow very far and were feeding in the water between the decks. This time, determined not to impose, I gradually made my way down to the creek, moving only when their heads were submerged and placing greater emphasis on not disturbing them as they searched for food. I stood still for several minutes, allowing them to accept my presence before carefully inching forward. Eventually I made it to the water’s edge and began taking photos as they browsed on aquatic vegetation and then swam past, just feet away from me.
Once again I am reminded that patience, more than persistence, is vital to successfully interacting with wildlife and creating beautiful images.
Another day, another magical morning in this valley I call home…
I truly believe that successful nature photography requires a little bit of skill and a whole lot of luck; and this morning the stars were aligned in my favor. That being said, you can help create your own luck by being out early in the day to utilize the low angle sun and combine the various elements of a scene to visualize a composition, thus being prepared when those elements merge to form a beautiful image.
I’d just set out to catch the sunrise, this time from a new location just over a mile away, when I had to circumvent a portion of the trail that was being blocked by a cow moose and her yearling calf. After arriving at my destination and taking a few exposures of the early sunlight illuminating the mountaintops, I was searching for a new composition when a pair of trumpeter swans seemingly appeared out of nowhere, swimming very close by. Since I was primarily after sunrise images I only had two lenses with me, and I quickly swapped the wide angle for my medium telephoto (80-200mm) and began to study the swans. My focal range was limited, thus allowing me to use form, texture and splashes of golden sunlight reflecting off the water as part of the composition rather than shooting close-ups.
When it comes to wildlife photography, gaining the best perspective usually requires being eye level with your subject. To achieve this, I crawled around on the rocks and frozen mud for nearly an hour with my lens just above the surface of the water. Suddenly I heard a loud noise and pushed myself up with one arm to witness a pair of young moose crashing onto the scene. I snapped a few photos before they continued on their way and then went back to photographing the swans, now startled by the moose and swimming very close to me. With my memory card nearly full and feeling I had used up the best angles and opportunities with the swans, I slowly got back onto my feet and began walking back to grab the rest of my gear when a pair of pine grosbeaks landed right in front of me, providing yet another unique encounter. After capturing a few frames of the bright red male, I finally packed up and headed home, reluctant as I was to leave and confident that a unicorn could show up at any moment.
Some days I’m in the flow and the magic is all around, I can feel it. This certainly was one of those days, and I am grateful to be able to share this magic with the world.
