Wooden Swans? Not truly, but their appearance was such as they bobbed on the frigidly cold river. It was -25 Fahrenheit the day I snapped this shot with a Windchill of -75 Fahrenheit. Ice was literally forming on the Swan’s backs and sides. So well insulated are the birds I doubt they even noticed the inhospitable conditions.
I don’t recall the exact setup I used in taking this photo but I know it involved a Leica Televid 77 Spotting Scope coupled to a small Nikon digital camera. Not all images were perfect but I saved them as they drew me in. Could they gave me a platform to someday exercise some artistic license? This particular image probably dates back to 2009 or thereabouts. I didn’t have much in the way of post-editing software at the time. But all that has changed today!
I have several programs I turn to when I wish to create an interpretation of an image. Photography is art and art is subject to the discretion of the Artist. It is OK to explore with photography, just like any other artistic medium. Will the masses rave over this image? Possibly not, but I like it and that matters to me most! It stirs memories of that day. Memories of Swans. Their beauty and grace.
What really matters
Art is a release of creativity captured in a medium. It expresses emotions, interprets time and place, and communicates often at a deeply personal level. I believe all humans are capable of expressing creativity. Its just a matter of finding their medium.
In this rekindled image I wanted to create the illusion of wooden Swans (and Geese). I know many woodcarvers that specialize in waterfowl. I admire their work greatly but, I do not have their talent. However, turning to my own medium of photography, I was able to create rustic likenesses of works from some of my most admired carvers.
Photography in winter
There are a number of considerations that come into play when doing an outdoor winter shooting. Breath can fog a viewfinder. Extreme temperature changes can fog a lens. Batteries that go ‘pffft’ in cold temperatures. Icy fingers fumbling with controls. There are challenges, but there is also beauty to capture. Make your outings shorter. Have transportation with a good heater. Keep hydrated! With a few precautions, I guarantee you will have an outing to remember for years to come – with the photos to prove it. Even photos of Wooden Swans!
These Wooden Swans took time to create
As I referenced earlier in this post, I didn’t have the software to work with these photos at the time I captured the images. Thankfully, I save and back up my images and have them sorted by date. I frequently go through images from earlier days and discover a treasure or two that had been passed over at the time for one of a myriad of reasons that suddenly takes form using today’s post-editing software. Again, it is like finding treasures.
The Swans were a work in progress. But that is OK as well. Sometimes art takes time to steep and develop. I think I did the original photo capture justice in this interpretation. Man! Was it cold that day. Hard to put into words what it is like to get frozen skin in a matter of seconds. It is all part of the creative process. The experiences tied to the creation.
I hope you take some time to study this photo. A larger version is available in my Swans Gallery – along with several other ‘deep freeze’ photos of Swans. Ironically, as I was writing this piece, three Trumpeter Swans flew overhead! Such an admirable bird. As always, I wish for you the greatest of days and hope you find some joy and fascination in viewing my work. Peace.
