A Trumpeter Swan hen, having a great time bathing in the small local pond where she nests every year. She left her cygnets at the back of the pond, came out into the middle and just went crazy with the splashing and flapping! Needless to say, I got a whole lot of shots but this was one of my favorites because of the expression the open beak provides. Her all new feathers were pure white and the sun was extremely bright plus the pond reflections were very dark so it was difficult shooting but well worth it!
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Sony a6500, SEL200600G @ 600 mm, ISO-160, f/6.3, 1/3200, hand held.
Great catch! The detail is excellent and 1/3200 really froze the action well. I love to watch big bird bathing - loons are hilarious when they have a big preen and these guys are even larger.
Great pose and action, Gary. Since you say her new plumage was pure white, I think I’d try to bring her plumage up a bit more (perhaps a curves layer bringing the grayer areas more toward white but holding the current whites in place). You’d lose a bit of the texture, but I think it would be worth it.
Thanks, Dennis! The neck and head of these swans are almost never very white because they get stained from constantly foraging below the water in the mud & silt. The wings stay clean though so they are very white.
