Mute Swan in evening light

Mute Swan in evening light, a photo by Paul Miguel on Flickr.

Swans are one of my favourite subjects to photograph. To capture strong images of them you really need to use the very best light. This image was taken at around 8.30pm using the last rays of sunshine. The quality of light makes a huge difference and helps to maintain detail in the white feathers.

For this shot I used a beanbag and angle finder and photographed from the ground just a few inches above the water surface at the edge of the lake. Exposure settings are always difficult with wildfowl - I try to set an ISO that give me at least 1/500 second to arrest the almost constant movement on the water.