Art?

So what's with all this blurry photography?   As hard as I try the Monticello feeding station is an auditory nightmare for me.  I can rarely recognize a melody and can't carry a beat so there is something else going on.  I recently watched a video that recommended capturing emotion instead of information.  Another quote talks about an image reflecting the person behind the lens.  Each is a good explanation for the recent posts.   A fantastic video that talks about capturing emotion in photography is: : The Art Of Travel Photography .  It's about 45 minutes long but one of the best nature photographylectures I've seen in a long time.

The Subject

Continuing my musings from Monticello. We have all seen the iconic swan flap, what else are the swans doing?  Overhead flight against a blue sky, maybe worth a shot or two.  How about making flight the subject, not the birds?  This image is about flight, speed, motion, movement, and direction.  Technical: 1/5 second shutter speed.

Lost Goose

A recent stop in Monticello was overwhelming with hundreds of birds milling about waiting to be fed.  How can a bird be isolated in this mass of movement and sound?  How can the  movement and chaos surrounding a subject be shown?

Several titles were considered for this image.  Is the goose lost, lonely, alone,  or wandering through the crowd?  Perhaps it symbolizes a photographer observing the world.   Is it a country boy in the city?  Sunday morning ruminations.

Technical:  3 stop ND filter to allow slow shutter speed (1/10 second), 100-400 mm lens zoomed in during the exposure.  Cropped to move subject off center.

Swans on Parade

Whether an intimate family portrait or a large group moving up river to the daily feeding, these birds are fascinating.  Something about the white on white never stops intriguing me.  The raucous off key trumpeting of a few hundred band members does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for these birds.  Technical: frame taken from video recording.

Majestic

I'm not sure why swans fascinate me.  Is it the purity of color, the intricate textures of the feathers?  Perhaps its the graceful lines of their neck? Maybe is it because they are a symbol that humans can correct their mistakes and bring a species back from near extinction.  This family was enjoying the sunrise on the Mississippi River.

The Power of One

I briefly stopped in Monticello during the swan feeding since I didn't have the ambition to get -18 degree steam shots earlier in the morning.  The visit reminded me of Shirley and her single minded purpose to feed the swans.  I looked to my left and realized Jim Brandenburg was photographing the swans, a photographer who changed the world with his one shot a day project.  Although this link is for an international organization, I think each of us can make a difference.

iLcp

Wandering

I'm on the road looking for winter wildlife.  The birds were on the river in Monticello and active but the sky was gray and dark.  Sometimes you can't fight the light, therefore a black and white image.