RAMSEY HARBOUR ,COURTING SWANS, CRITTER SUNDAY

A couple of weeks ago I posted the black and white version of this image. Blue and purple light on the monochrome image are quite pronounced as a stream of white light. This is the image as shot. For the monochrome I simply used photoshop "desaturate" to strip the colours from the image. Again it's just been re sized for the blog. You will notice I shoot a lot over, near, by or onto water. It's because it's so reflective and can really enhance tones and hues. The colours are reflections from the harbour boatyard. Also shooting towards the sun helped to elongate the magenta light onto the gravel.

These two swans were again a fortuitous shot. I had been snapping away at one of the elusive cormorants. It just wasn't happening. Cormorants are shorebirds with dark feathers, almost black, but on closer inspection you see green, blue and purple when the light hits. Very poor light and basically the wrong lens for the distance meant time call it a day. I Always take the opportunity to take a few spontaneous shots on these days. I had noted the swans were about to pass near to the better light, the reflection, and as they are white knew they would make up for the cormorant. The magenta light onto the gravel I like purely as it's unbalanced for the shot. Again I could of cropped just for the swans, but personally I'm just a sucker for purple.


As some people really don't get my humour I have gone for a very straightforward post with a smattering of photography tips, without the patronising tone of you could never take this shot. On the contrary. It demonstrates that there are some days when you just can't get the shot you want, but if you improvise, know one will ever know. Well not unless you're me and you shoot and tell.

For more camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera critters.