Community

Though at times they are thought of as flying rodents, I maintain that these geese are beautiful in appearance and community. I love how they gather each autumn to journey together.

Sometimes we cannot get the crop of the photo we want in camera. There is no shame in going in with the scissors in processing! Both of these images were much better presented once their ratio was changed. Knowing this is available to me, I shoot with the crop in mind and finish the composition on my computer.

Both images were shot at the same settings. I used f/5.6 with a shutter speed of 1/200. ISO? You guessed it...100.

Flight

Sometimes, choosing black and white to show texture and contrast is more effective than using colour. Here, the contrast between the solids in the geese and the texture in the grasses allows the geese to stand out a little more.

I shot at a focal length of 70, f/5.6 adn shutter speed of f/5.6. The speed was fast enough to stop some of the birds' movement yet allowed the wings to blur. Being able to show both makes this motion composition more interesting. We can almost feel the wind their wings create.

Pair and a Spare

This pair was none too happy to have me on their tails. I'm sure they were a little nervous because they likely have eggs or wee ones nearby.

The Canada Geese are plentiful in our area. They seem to find the most interesting and unusual places to nest. I've seen them nesting right close to a busy street, in the middle of a sidewalk, perched in a planter and then of course in the more likely of places like this farmer's field.

I've caught a few glimpses of some of the goslings that have hatched but so far I haven't had my camera with me to get some shots. They sure are cute though!

It is often more interesting to take pictures of wildlife at their eye level. This may require getting down and dirty but the results are usually worth it.  Being eye level allows the viewer a different perspective. Instead of a vantage point either well below these as they fly, or above as they nest, we are with them.