I live in Perth Western Australia. We have a river running through Perth which was named the Swan River by early settlers. These settlers survived quite nicely on these swan which filled the river in those days. Today plenty of swan survive but not at the numbers the early settlers would have seen. I have provided this photo not because its particularly good, more for general interest as I think there are only a few places in the world where these are found in any numbers. Boy, am I going to look dumb if I am wrong...:o
Anyway, I present one black swan...
Canon 10D
70 - 200F4 @ 160mm
F 5.6
1/500 sec
ISO 400
No Flash
They are cool birds and majestic !! I think there a lots of them in New Zealand and New Guinea? .. but there are probably more in Australia.
Exposure looks good and you got detail in the dark feathers, might try a little more !! Framing wise would like seeing the bird with more room all around keeping extra up front !! If you can get them away form the shore so there would be all clean would be best ! Also there seems to be a color cast ... not at my home computer so won't give it a try here, I'm sure someone will ring in if not will get back to it later !!! Sweet bird and hoping to see more of them
Thanks for the pointers Alfred. I am originally from New Zealand and don't remember seeing them there, maybe I am wrong. I know they exist in a small town in Devon in the UK and other parts of Europe but only in small numbers apparently. Now I know they are in Florida also...
Thanks again Al & Jackie. one day I hope to take photos like you guys can...
Do you think fill flash might have helped bring out additional detail in the black feathers? I also have room to move in PP... I shall try there again tonight.
This looks like it was taken on an overcast day, so I think some fill flash would have helped. And thanks for the compliment Don, I wish I could take photos as good as Lance, Dave, and Al! Just keep practicing, everything gets better.
Last time I looked - quite a few years back - there were many black swans on Lake Ellesmere, just south of Christchurch, NZ. Nothing recent about their introduction, Al!
As ornamentals, they seem to get placed all around - there is a pair on a pond in the village of Zaventem on the east side of Brussels.
Beautiful birds - great contrast between the red bill and the black feathers, but tricky to get the light right. Maybe try some fill flash. Could perhaps give this one a little more room.
Black Swan
