Being a completely amateur photographer I find that my photography is confined to weekends so I am often reliant on the weather being nice on those days. Unfortunately, it seemed that in Canberra the first half of 2022 had many weekends with inclement weather meaning that the light was not great. I still took my camera with me when I kayaking but it was discouraging when the light just did not seem to be there. However, it did give me a chance to play around with some moody light conditions. Fortunately, there were also days when the sun was out providing lovely light, such as the morning I came across the Purple Swamphen above. These are very common birds around Lake Burley Griffin, especially close to reeds where they roost of a night. It is easier to ignore them after a while because they are so common but when the light hits them and the blue of their feathers shine, they become a glorious sight to see. Over two months in 2022 I saw the lake in different light conditions and I wanted to share the result. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
One overcast morning after a kayak where the light was not really great, especially when I was trying to have a fast enough shutter speed to capture animal action from a kayak, I found a subject when I was loading my kayak on the car. A pair of Black Swans (Cygnus atratus) were swimming near the shore before they emerged from the lake’s water. They walked slowly onto the shore where they started eating the grass. The black coloured birds were even darker under those overcast conditions.
Black Swan emerging from the lake on an overcast morning
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/400 SEC])
On a different overcast morning a Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) was in the same area where I finished my kayaking. These birds were often around this spot because there are reeds that line the shore for about 100 m giving these birds a safe roosting location. The morning was very cloudy so the light was not really great. In particular, the swamp hen’s blue plumage was very subdued.
Interestingly, the blue in feathers is achieved through nature manipulating light passing through the actual microscopic structure of the feather not a pigment within it. The effect really needs good light to show how wonderful the colour is. Within the structure of the feather the tiny building blocks act like filters that absorb all the beams of light coming through except for blue. The blue light is reflected back out making the feather look blue. Therefore the blue in the feathers really does shine in good light, where there is a lot of blue being reflected back out. Which was what happened on a morning in April when I paddled around the eastern end of Spinnaker Island, where the sun was painting everything in golden morning rays. A lone swamphen was drinking water and searching for food. I was able to move my kayak so that the sun was almost directly behind me shining fully onto the solitary bird while the light breeze slowly pushed me closer. The swamphen continued on with its business, while the blue feathers shimmered in the sun. The feathers were almost aqua at the base of the bird’s neck. These birds are rails and their large red beaks are mainly for getting at the soft shoots of reeds but swamphens will also eat small animals when it has the chance.
Purple Swamphen on an overcast morning with its colour subdued in poor light
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC])
Purple Swamphen when the sun hits the plumage
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 227mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A large gathering of Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa) were also at the location where I finished paddling although they tended to move away when I approached.
Pacific Black Ducks
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Despite being happy when we finally had some days in Canberra with blue skies I have to admit that overcast skies can make for dramatic backgrounds. A grey coloured lake with a disturbed surface from a wind, backed by wispy, whitish clouds covering hills in the distance was a photo that I had to attempt.
Black Mountain Tower wrapped in the white hand of a cloud, with just the upper part poking out, while the bottom was lost also inspired me to click the shutter. I liked the way that there was a layer of very white cloud in the middle that seemed to reflect what little light there was giving it a distinctly paler tone compared to the greyer clouds around it.
Even on a morning that was not too dull, the clouds made a nice backdrop for a hot air balloon floating low over Spinnaker Island. I was able to catch the moment when the balloon pilot ignited the flames again to help the balloon rise higher. The red of the balloon was such a sharp contrast to the green of the vegetation and the distant grey-blue of the clouds.
Clouds covering the Dairy Farmers Hill in the National Arboretum
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 248mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC])
Black Mountain Tower wrapped in low cloud
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 176mm, f/7.1 and 1/250 SEC])
Hot-air balloon floating over Spinnaker Island
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 170mm, f/6.3 and 1/400 SEC])
It is interesting seeing the lake in its different moods when the light changes. While the overcast sky can make for a dramatic landscape I still like the clear light over a cloudless day for photographing birds to catch their beauty. Whether that is the light in their eyes or the shimmering of feathers, I just love the extra character that the light brings.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.