(For Barbary Chaapel whose poetry inspires us all to look for the beauty all around)
I always think I have to travel somewhere or do something unusual to shoot great pictures. Fall around White Rock Lake always reminds me that there is plenty of beauty in my own back yard. September and October brings American White Pelicans to White Rock Lake which is very close to home and my favorite place to walk the dogs.
I have a lot of pictures of these gorgeous birds in flight and even more of them perched out in the middle of the lake or on some log sticking out of the water closer to shore.
Pelicans are among my most favorite birds. They are both comic and majestic. Qualities I appreciate greatly.
They also make magnificent subjects for studies in portraiture.
I changed the color of this background to purple to bring out the yellows and oranges of his bill to add interest to this portrait-in-profile.
This one (below) is my favorite so far. I love the closed eye of the center bird.
When Pelicans return to Dallas, I am reminded of the delicate balances we must learn to achieve
if we are to continue to blessed by these most heavenly birds.
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Comments: 46
cheers,gayle
Gayle, Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Yes I did like the reflection on the first shot and the sailboat. The light was just beautiful. Compositionally I suppose what you say is true, but I have long ago forgotten the whys.
You pictures and your eye, and heart, are excellent...
The open mouth shots are great, I didn't know they everted like that...!!!
Thank you for posting these photos and sharing...
The cormorants are great out there too... I wished I had my camera last night when the tree tops were full of cormorants roosting for the night...
There is a large group of Pelicans that come into a branch of the Lake Ray Hubbard Reservoir...
It is nice to have a bit of the coast up here ...
DJE
David, Yes the Cormorants are really cool too, but you have to be careful. Have you noticed how the trees turn solid white when they are around? I'll have to look for the Pelicans at Ray Hubbard. I'll bet it is quite difficult to shoot out of a small one man sailboat in the wind!
The Ray Hubbard Pelicans (that I know of, there may be more) like the shallow area off the Rowlett Road Causeway... There are some more that I saw once just north of the Hwy 66 Causeway on the Rowlett side...
I need to get out on my flat bottom jon-boat some time and row out there in the morning as they start to launch themselves for a day of soaring... I don't look forward to my sore arms and back though from the rowing... :)
Best...
I am so honored to be named here. And Bill says thank you, too, for these
photos of his favorite bird.
You've certainly captured their delightful ways with your lens. You must have some magnificient pictures hanging in your house!
And such a lovely tribute to our wonderful Barbary! Thank you SO much!
Susan, I am truly honored at being featured on the homepage. Thank you so very much! That is really great!
Barbary, You and Bill are entirely welcome. I felt bad that you couldn't see the pelicans past the Tern in my last photo-essay. Our walls are most certainly jam packed with pictures, all kinds, paintings, prints, etc. Though only a portion are mine. I should put more up! Thank you!
Thank you Anne. So glad you came by. I always enjoy seeing your comments.
Katrina, quirky is right! Sometimes they are downright goofy and other times they are so regal. Thanks for your kind comments.
Faith, Leigh, Ethan, and Kathy, I am pleased that you enjoyed these photos. Thank you so much for commenting.
Jana, they definitely could be. It is within their migratory range. Your lake sounds great. "my lake in Minnesota" -has a nice ring to it., "distant island", your comment is poetry. Thanks
May I ask what kind of camera you use and/or the program you use to change the background? I'd love to be able to do that.
Lynn, I'm pleased that you saw something new and of interest. I love this aspect of photography the most: that the sheer beauty of the world is presented to us in surprising ways. Thanks for the kind words.
amarpreet, thanks so much for stopping by. I'm glad you enjoyed these photos.
I am speechless before so much grandeur!
Duckie One, thanks so much for your kind words. I know you to be a fine photographer and one who knows about beauty in your own back yard, and so I appreciate your words all the more.
Did you know there is a single swan living at Bachman Lake? He has been there for over a year now.
The birds are so beautiful...and I defintly like the first one! The photo's are so wonderfully captured! Good Job! =] glad you enjoyed the weather...its getting colder here....brrrrrrrrrr!
Sy, I have not seen that swan. I used to drive past there from time to time when I worked on that side of Dallas.
Leslie, stay warm.
Ana, I can watch them for hours also. Thanks for the comment!
these Pelicans of White Rock Lake are beautiful creatures from God...
Thank you very much for sharing...
Thank you Debbie
Tonia, I love good children's books. Thanks for the tip, I'll look for it.
I always refer to them as "my pelicans" because I love them so much. Now that I have a new DSLR I am anxious to see if I can capture some meaningful moments of "my birds".
Thank you for these wonderful pictures and your captions are very fitting.