pond and dock

[herron]

Same area as the swan and the geese...this time all alone, and quite serene. I like this one.

[Randy]

I'd pitch my camper by that pond for sure!

[PeterW]

I like this one a lot Ron. It's not easy to define instant appeal, but I'll have a go.

I like the placing of the reflection line near the top of the picture instead of in the middle as I've seen on many reflection shots. And I like the way the light has caught the decking on the dock. There's a diagonal run of bright water running up from the bottom right, and though according to theory diagonals suggest movement it doesn't in this case, possibly because of the strong horizontals of the reflection line and the dock. I also like the reeds in the foreground in sharp focus, and ...

Oh heck! I'm probably talking a load of pretentious splurge. I'm sure these thoughts didn't run through your mind when you looked in the viewfinder. I'll guess you just thought 'Yes, I like it'.

So do I!

Peter

[herron]

peterw said:

.....Oh heck! I'm probably talking a load of pretentious splurge. I'm sure these thoughts didn't run through your mind when you looked in the viewfinder. I'll guess you just thought 'Yes, I like it'.

So do I!

Thank you, Peter (and Randy).

Actually, I did consider placement...but it wasn't a long drawn-out process. After all this time, I am always cognizant of the "rule of thirds" when I start shooting. So, I first tried the horizon line as the bottom third....and thought there was too much flat gray sky. Then I actually did pause with the horizon in the middle...still too much sky, but also a large expanse of dull green trees that did nothing for me. Then put the horizon where you see it, and tried to decide the left-right placement with that strong diagonal until I hit on the composition you see, and pressed the shutter!

And all that is really another "load of pretentious splurge" (I really like that phrase...I'm going to have to remember it, and work it into conversation somewhere..even if it gets me decked! ;D :

I did go through all that, but it took all of 1/2 second, tops, to figure it out...so, in a way, you're right...as soon as my mind said "I like it" as I looked through the viewfinder, the composition was set!

[GeneW]

This is a very nice shot, and thanks for telling us what went through your head as you were composing. It looks so peaceful and inviting. Is the water deep enough to allow canoeing?

Gene

[herron]

Thanks, Gene.

Is the water deep enough to allow canoeing?

Yes, in most places it is. There are a lot of aquatic plants (weeds) in it, but it is a good place for canoes.

Power boats are not allowed at all, so, if you want to fish from a boat, you have to put the oars in the water (and be properly licensed...I've heard they're pretty vigilant about that, but I'm not a fisherman, so I only know it as hearsay)!

You're also supposed to have an annual (or daily) permit to enter the area at all, but I've never bought one, and I'm in there all the time with my cameras and have never been stopped.

[kamera]

Ron,

Nice pic, but even more so it looks like a great place for me to visit and just sit and relax and wile away the frustrations of life that are on my back recently. Quiet, peaceful, the beauty of mother nature, etc.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[John Parry]

A very nice spot by the looks of it Ron, and a great photo. I'll go with everything that Peter said. The main thing is - it works.

If I had a spot like that close by, I'd do a lot more sailing. And as Ronnee said, a great place to relax. I perfected a system for that in my younger days. The secret is - you go fishing BUT... Instead of a tackle box to sit on, you take a case of beer. Then you enjoy the sunshine reflecting off the ripples on the water, the dragonflies winging across the surface, the buzzing of the bees in the wild flowers - all the while removing tins of beer from the case beneath you. When the case collapses, it's time to go home.

Bait? Who needs it!!

Regards - John

[herron]

It is a very peaceful place, Ron. Just the kind of place to sooth frazzled nerves.

The secret is - you go fishing BUT... Instead of a tackle box to sit on, you take a case of beer.

And, John, if I had thought of that sooner, I might have been a fisherman!