Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Patience is A Virtue


Sometimes when you are willing to keep trying, and be very, very patient, the stars align and you are rewarded.



I've whined and bemoaned about my inability to capture the swans in all of their glory for a long time now...years in fact!  Way before I had a blog I would patiently trek outside each winter and "hope" to be able to get even one good shot of these beautiful creatures in their natural environment.




And year after year they would tease me.  Watching me quietly sneaking around the yard with my camera at the ready.  And it wasn't just me, they would taunt Mr. Tide as well, and he would come inside ever hopeful that he had finally captured "the shot," only to find blown out fuzzy pictures of swan butts as they swam off to the farthest reaches of our creek.




Finally, my patience paid off and this week I got the pictures I had been longing for for over 4 years!  The swans must have heard my sighs of frustration and thought I had proven myself worthy by not giving up and giving in.  This past week they graced me with more than swan butts, and they even looked me in the eye as if to say "patience is a virtue, and you are now virtuous enough to capture our beauty."  And so I did, and I hope that these will eventually find their way onto canvas or metal, but for now I'm just happy to stare at them!

Thank you swans for trusting me enough to show you in all your graceful glory to the world!

Posted by at
Labels: , ,

25 comments:

  1. a quiet lifeFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    they are stunning, worth the wait~

    ReplyDelete
  2. forgetmenotFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Wow--you definitely had everything in your corner this time. Lovely shots --beautiful birds--there is a reason they are called "graceful". Mickie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tricia Rose Rough LinenFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:42 PM

    I suppose it's true we value things more if they are hard-won, but even more thought-provoking is: how did they come to the decision that they trusted you? That's what your beautiful photos say.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kim @ Savvy Southern StyleFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    OMG, Kat I love these photos. Those are the prettiest birds. Thanks so much for sharing their beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  5. chrisFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    sometimes when i see something breath taking and wish i had my camera or my camera isnt capturing what my eye sees, i hear gods voice telling me "its just for you"
    sure sometimes i do get the shot and i do get to share... but sometimes, its just for me.

    thanks for sharing your swans.. love the processing on the last one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. PondsideFebruary 16, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    You will be the Swan Whisperer!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Linda @ Itsy Bits And PiecesFebruary 16, 2011 at 10:49 PM

    OH Kat...these photos were worth the wait! Really beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. TeresaFebruary 17, 2011 at 12:11 AM

    Gorgeous, Kat! They are so pretty and good for you for not giving up on them! We have a blue heron that I'm stalking. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a huge, long lens that I can't afford to ever do him any justice. Now you've got me wondering if swans ever make it our way. That's my homework for the day!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your HomeFebruary 17, 2011 at 5:58 AM

    BEAUTIFUL...they are amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. ChRiSFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:03 AM

    Beautiful picture was well worth the wait....made my cupcakes Kat i didn't have enuff choc to make your choc sauce so i just topped them with strawberries....think when i make again will not let in oven as long, my temp in oven is not accurate and makes for tuff baking...but there good!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Karen thisoldhouse2.comFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:15 AM

    These have such a nice feel, Kat. Beautiful capture....

    ReplyDelete
  12. Connie in HartwoodFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:47 AM

    Swan whisperer??? That's funny.

    I have this amusing picture of you in my head ... you're sneaking outside in your PJs to the swampy woods, with your camera gear and the rest of your commando equipment, to set up camp to intercept those dang-blasted swans. I can even see the look in your eyes ... you will NOT be defeated again. See here, Swnas, you do NOT know who you're messing with.

    Seriously ... stunning photos, as always. You captured the beauty of the moment, and I am thankful that you shared it with all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  13. RazmatazFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:58 AM

    And you captured them so beautifully. The blue on the first photo next to the white is stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  14. michelleFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    Those turned out gorgeous Kat! The second one with the sun bouncing off her/his back is beautiful! I am so glad that you finally got the pictures! You have earned your right in the swan world with them! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 10:37 AM

    When shooting birds around water, I find I get more poop on my shoes and duck butts in the air than I do good shots. They are tricky critters.

    Di

    ReplyDelete
  16. KathysueFebruary 17, 2011 at 12:03 PM

    Kat, these are amazing images.I get such a sense of peace looking at them. Thank you for sharing your talent with us and thank to the Swans for being such wonderful subjects. Truly amazing!! KS

    ReplyDelete
  17. Keetha BroylesFebruary 17, 2011 at 12:46 PM

    The second one in this series is my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Honey at 2805February 17, 2011 at 12:49 PM

    Amazing photos. Your patience was rewarded!

    ReplyDelete
  19. ~Lavender Dreamer~February 17, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    Just amazing! My hubby came in to my computer to look at your photos! We both admire your diligence...and talent! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  20. LisaFebruary 17, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Wow, Kat, fabulous photos!

    ReplyDelete
  21. MarigeneFebruary 17, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Beautiful shots, Kat!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Country GirlFebruary 17, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    Oh, how lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ms. Bake-itFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    Oh wow Kat! They are absolutely stunning! Thank you so much for sharing them with us.

    ~ Tracy

    ReplyDelete
  24. LiliFebruary 18, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    WOW Kat. Just WOW! xoxo ~Lili

    ReplyDelete
  25. countrycharismaFebruary 19, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    You captured them so beautifully! Are they Trumpeters? Last fall with visiting my son's cabin on Lake Wawasee in northern IN, I got just a few long shots of Trumpeters on the lake. I watched them until they swam out-of-sight, but was just so thrilled to get a glimpse. Your pictures area study, and I really appreciate you sharing them.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)