Bullrush Raindrop
Well, I am wrapping things up from my walk around Swan Lake last weekend with some wet pictures. Inspired by today’s rain I expect. Anyone that rummages around in my blog will soon discover that I have a thing about water drops as seen through my macro lens. I am indulging myself again today. These pictures are of water drops on bullrush leaves and the plants that collect around the base of them. I really like the way the drops magnify the surface of the leaf and end up looking like small shells.
Are these algae? I really must look them up, or pay more attention to the signage in the park. [Edit: in a comment below, Douglas Peterson gives the lowdown on this Duckweed, not algae]
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When I saw these ducks I thought of blogger and follower Douglas who takes terrific duck pictures, and has been very helpful off-line with my attempts at getting this blog off the ground. I did not appreciate how tricky these guys are to photograph until now – they are quick, unpredictable (at least if you are not throwing them food) and hard to get/keep in focus. Here is a pair that is feeding in amongst the base of the shrubs and rushes, quickly swimming out of focus.
All photos taken with SMC Takumar m42 macro 100mm mounted on Canon EOS 5d Mark II DSLR.
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burnt embers 
The floating plant isn’t algae. It’s Duckweed which is highly nutritious for our feathered friends.
Photographing ducks is a challenge. My camera has about a half-second delay between when I hit the button and the shutter snapping. Within that brief time, the ducks are liable to do anything except stand still. I get a lot of tail-shots, top-of-head-shots, and no-duck-in-the-picture shots not to mention out-of-focus ones. Ducks seek elbow room constantly with the ducks around them. My attempts to catch them in the act of nipping their neighbors is usually a failure. They are split-second encounters so, by the time my shutter clicks, I have a great shot of two ducks standing next to each other doing nothing. The same is true when they chase each other in the water. The action is over and done within seconds and doesn’t usually have warning signs before erupting.
Thanks for the kind words about my blog.
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Thanks Douglas, Duckweed it is. That is an interesting article you link to. Protein rich or not, I find it hard to imagine having duckweed in my salad, or soup.
Shutter lag is truly difficult to deal with, and sometimes aggravating. I have suffered it too, but fortunately no longer. I must try to take more pictures of ducks. Beacon Hill park is rife with them, and a lot of other good photos just waiting to be made, so soon I will likely be there, trying again.
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oooooooo what beautiful close-ups of the water droplets! That third one is great–you can really see the “veins” of the grass.
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Hey Lindsay, thanks for dropping by :). I love the way water drops magnify things – it embeds a micro shot within a macro shot, if you know what I mean.
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Beautiful…love the ducks.
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Thank you – I like them too – the way they are arranged, and the turbulence on the water’s surface from their feet is pleasing.
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