How To Take Great Photos of Swans Safely
Swans are very graceful and beautiful birds, and to be able to get close to them and not startle them will get you some great photos of these awesome birds .I will tell you how to do that and keep you and these beautiful birds safe .
Some Quick Facts About Swans:
Swans are not known to attack humans without cause, and it is said they can actually remember humans that have been kind to them .
The male swan is a very devoted father and husband and are said to stay with their mate for life.
A male swan if provoked can hit you with the knucklebone of his wing to defend his family .
One blow from his wing is strong enough to break a man’s arm.
Swans are the biggest known bird in the bird family to fly, and they can fly as fast as 50 to 60 miles per hour
When baby swans are born there are gray in color
When a female swan sits on a nest of eggs she will not leave the nest until all the eggs are hatched, not even to eat .
Swans who live in a protected environment have been known to live as long as 30 years .
I have taking photos of swans for three spring seasons, they are not far from where I live and right now there is a new mother swan sitting on her nest of eggs. I wanted to get some photos of her but it is still way to cold here to do that now and to do it safely .
Taking good photos of swans will take some skill and patience which will pay off in the end . You don’t need any special camera or equipment to get good photos of swan, just a good digital camera and a good eye for detail will help you to pick your best shots.
When approaching swans you never want to make a lot of noise and never sneak up on them either, if the male feels you are threaten his family he will attack you, expressly if his mate is sitting on a nest full of eggs . You want to always take slow steps when approaching swans and gain their trust first before trying to take any photos of them .
When you see they no longer mind you being around them you can now start shooting some photos of them, but always keep in mind to move slowly and pick a good spot where you can get good photos of them without moving around too much. You may also want to bring some bread with you to feed them, this is a great way to gain their trust and keep them busy while you shoot your photos of them .
On my second season of taking pictures of swans I found them at our local beach soaking up the sun on a warm late spring day. I took my time and let them get use to me being around them, and then soon I was able to move around them freely . In the excitement of getting some great photos of these swans I got too bold by trying to get to close to them . And the male let me know by charging at me, but I kept my cool and slowly reached my hand out to him has you would a dog, and he put his orange colored bill in the palm of my hand has if to smell me, at this point I was shaking with excitement at the response I received from the male swan, but not one to wear out my welcome I felt it was time to leave these beautiful swans and let them enjoy the sun and beach .
If you ever have the opportunity to take photos of these beautiful birds please do, but remember that your main goal is to keep these swans and yourself safe, so that you and other people may enjoying see them again . And you will walk away with some great photos of these graceful birds and some wonderful memories you won’t forget !
All the photos were taking by me with a Fujifilm digital camera .over a time period of three years and three generations of swans .
