CLICK / TAP PHOTO TO ENLARGE Late afternoon brings with it deep colours and great detail on the faces of swan sku sw10016

CLICK / TAP PHOTO TO ENLARGE The two parents are in the final stages of teaching one of their cygnets to fly. sku sw10017

CLICK / TAP PHOTO TO ENLARGE The reflection from some nearby buildings creates a great backdrop for the sipping swan. sku sw10018

The colours of the wood duck are reflected in the water. He is a loner from the USA and has landed in Kent. He arrived in late September. I have been photographing him from time to time and trying the capture the autumn colours from the trees which are reflected in the lake.

The colours of the wood duck are reflected in the water. He is a loner from the USA and has landed in Kent. He arrived in late September. I have been photographing him from time to time and trying the capture the autumn colours from the trees which are reflected in the lake.

As always with my photography of the bird life of Kent - I try to capture a variety of colours on the lake. These surrounding colours are dictated by the weather i.e. blue skies and silvery skies - and ralso by eflected autumn foliage which can give yellow water and reddish water. Late af[...]

Silvery skies dictate silvery background to this colourful duck on the lake.

The first of the red background photos of last autumn. Its a rich red with deep dark tones.

As with this birds "distant cousin" the mandarin - I enjoy capturing that photo of the dipping beak in the water. Just at the right moment - before any movement - the reflection of the ducks face is at its clearest.

The combination of vivid colours and interesting patterns is what excites me about this kind of photography. The subject is photographed at high speed so as to "freeze" the patterns in the water and make them look like a watercolour painting.  I have been told that this gives a 3D effe[...]

Sky reflections on a sunny day give a misty blue with hints of the clouds which are floating across the sky.

Spirals of water are a wonderful 3D moment when a carolina duck seems to burst out of the photo.

A happy day for a photographer is a sunny day. Late afternoon is the best without contrasty light. The result is the deeper and stronger colours which become the background for the bird.

Reflections are my "friend". They show how still the waters are and create a mirror of the bird above the water.

The variety of coloured backgrounds holds true with the carolina duck. The late afternoon with the carolina looking straight at me.

The camera tracks the carolina duck across the water and freezes the little bubbles of water as the duck glides by.