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!

25 comments:

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

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  2. 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.

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

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  4. 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.

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

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  6. 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!

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  7. 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!!

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

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  9. 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.

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

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  11. 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! ;)

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  12. 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

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  13. 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

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  14. The second one in this series is my favorite.

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  15. Amazing photos. Your patience was rewarded!

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

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

    ~ Tracy

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  18. 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.

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