I spent the final days in Portland with my parents where I frequently visited my sister and her family. As has become tradition with my visits, I took a stroll down to the local pond with my nephews, who have also taken an interest in photography. I mostly focused on the diverse birdlife with a particular interest in a flock or "raft" of American Wigeons.
I made a choice to edit in a warmer temperature to reflect the late afternoon setting. I often avoid warmer tones because they tend to make the colors appear too saturated. They also provide less contrast than cooler tones. But on occasion, a warmer palette is preferable when I'm inclined to depict an inviting and contemplative atmosphere. I unironically enjoy overly sentimental art, and something about families of ducks gently gliding on the reflective surfaces of a pond puts me in a sentimental mood. In this particular instance, the warmer tones transform the dull brown water into gold.
I've learned to be more strategic with reflective water and shore birds like ducks and seagulls. If you compare different photographs in this collection, the first set is located in the shadows of massive trees, which give the water a dark, foreboding blanket of black, while the latter shots open up to the deep blue late afternoon sky. The angle also matters since you can catch beautiful bright highlights in the ripples, which look especially great contrasted against dark water.
Unfortunately, the distance I was shooting at meant that I couldn't capture the commotion of these flocks as vividly and detailed as I might have liked. I close this section with "tapestries" that are cropped wider. I imagine that in an exhibit these photographs would stretch to each end of a wall, and like an elaborate classical painting, you would be able to get up close and observe each duck in their own personality.