… well, switched mornings and did Bubbling Ponds this morning and early tomorrow morning it is down to Lake Pleasant … on the whole I do better at the Ponds than the lake with ducks as I get closer to them and standing on the banks of the ponds get level shots of them as they change ponds they want to be in … mostly the water levels in the ponds are about six feet below the bank and when the ducks take off they quickly get to eye level … shooting takeoffs and landings they are just below level.
The photo above is one of a sequence I shot of a Ring-Necked Duck that is on final and doing the final flare and braking before he touches down with his webbed feet … they act like water skis and you can see that his tail feathers are just touching the water. As the landing progresses he will force the tail down into the water and eventually he is throwing up a sheet of water as he lowers into the lake and slows down.
With the links I provide for most birds you will learn a lot about them and also when I use the Cornell Labs website, you will also get a link to an audio of the birds song … while you’re at it, maybe sign up and give them some support.
The back ponds are about six or seven feet below the front ponds and I saw a Kingfisher fly across one of the lower ponds and he appeared to land on one of the railings on a feeding dock. As I headed up the slope I could see him with something in his beak … I was concerned that he would fly if I got any higher so I took a few shots where the top of the banks on the upper pond provided an out of focus foreground and I got most of the Kingfisher with a small frog in his mouth … tried to get a little closer and he flew.
Early morning trip to the lake so will wrap the day … have a beautiful day and let yourself me amazed by the beauty around us.
Cheers,
Ted
Love some one—in God’s name love some one—
for this is the bread of the inner life, without which
a part of you will starve and die; and though you feel
you must be stern, even hard, in your life of affairs,
make for yourself at least a little corner, somewhere
in the great world, where you may unbosom and be
kind.
Love Some One by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …
