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biljana mitrovic
{K:39897} 5/12/2008
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Great :)))))))Thank you for this one:))))
big hug
biljana
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Kes
{K:18212} 5/12/2008
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aw, that's so cute, Andre! It's amazing how fast they can make a get-away!
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Dave Stacey
{K:111920} 5/12/2008
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Nice one of the Mom and little ones, Andre!
Dave.
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 5/14/2008
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Thanks again Biljana.
I'm glad you like these two shots!
Andre
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 5/14/2008
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Thanks Dave.
Andre
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 5/14/2008
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Thanks Kes,
Maybe a little too cute. :)
I feel like I'm posting a lot of "Hallmark" type images lately. I wanted to do a few "straight" wildlifes and florals to practice with the new camera, but I'm feeling the urge to try something with a bit more edge to it. I guess it's time for a trip back to the "Darkside"
Andre
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parehan .K
{K:20216} 5/16/2008
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You captured it in a grand mam position! The quality of the shot is outstanding my friend.!:)
Loads of affection and hugs,
parehan
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 5/20/2008
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Thanks Parehan,
They are still there and getting bigger by the day.
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 5/22/2008
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The young ones could have perhaps a bit more contrast to the green on the ground just like the big goose, Andre, but I guess that this is intentionally this way right out of nature? (More contrast would mean that the are also more visible, and that's not in the sense of their chances to grow.)
But the transition from sharp to soft focus from the front to the back worked like a charm here! The goose really pops out of the image! And the timing and details on its face are very attractive as it seems to be watching the surroundings very very exactly. The image conveys very well that struggle to grow up the kids through all the dangers that await everywhere.
Cheers!
Nick
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 5/27/2008
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Hi Nick,
Thanks for the good comment on this one.
There was also the Father Goose with this little family that was hissing and trying his best to keep me away from the little guys. I spent only a few minutes following them. They seemed more at ease when I got down low to the ground, which suited me fine for the POV of the images. I did anticipate the lack of contrast with the baby geese, but there isn't much I could do about that. Like you said, that's nature's intention for self preservation. They were almost invisible until I got close because of the way they blended in with the yellow dandilions and higher grass. The Mother was a good poser and very photogenic.
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 5/28/2008
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Hi Andre!
And many thanks for the very vivid description of the situation. I can really imagine you lying on the ground, and the geese looking as if to say: OK, he is smaller now! ;-)
It's always great to watch the many strategies used for surviving the young age in nature. And it can also get really funny. I remember now, some days ago I was sitting in the top deck of the train from Zurich back to Lucerne, and so I could look over the top surfaces of the digital displays in the train stations. They put many spikes there to prevent birds from sitting and also sh***ing there. But the birds considered that as a good protection, found a way to land on there without getting hurt, and filled the place with their nests. And that in the middle of the railyway stations. There must have been dozens of their youngsters waiting for the parents to feed them. Such a funny thing - you try to get rid of them using countermeasures, and then they find the countermeasures absolutely fine for living there.
I was also wondering that nobody seemed to notice them, perhaps because nobody expected them there. There is much that goes on unnoticed cities and crowed places, but I guess that's the sense of it for animals. Remain undiscovered and do what's necessary for living - something like that. Somehow I sympathize with those unnoticed "citizens" - they remind me of many human beings too, who in principle don't do anything different. Just trying to get around problems and the like.
Still some of the older animals (especially females! ;-)) just have to make themselves noticeable! Or could that be that she was simply watching you very carefully because she was anxious about the kids?
Anyway, when I see the birds, rats, foxes, whatever in the city, I think that we can't really "control" life. It simply paves its way, no matter of obstacles. I see that everyday on my balcony, and I am on the fifth floor. Still the ants find my plants great! ;-) Some time ago I tried to get rid of them but now I see that it's useless. So I put some repellent on the plants where they shouldn't go, and otherwise let them do what they have to. And they also help pollinating the flowers - if you can't be against them, be with them! ;-)
Cheers!
Nick
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 6/2/2008
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Hi Nick,
Thanks for the great comment. I should tell you that this species has been multiplying like crazy the last few years in the Toronto area. Although they look sort of cute in this kind of image, they are actually becoming quite a nuisance. The main problem being bacteria from there excrement polluting the waterways. :(
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 6/3/2008
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Hi Andre!
Well, they do only what they were thought for. If some region is better for them they will use it, be it for easier food or anything else. They just try to keep alive using any available means.
There are many cases of animals "intruding" cities as if they would just adapt to urban life conditions. Some of these colonizations happened without being noticed at all. Insects for example follow us since thousands of years, and I doubt that we will ever get rid of them.
About pollution we must be careful. This is not really pollution, since anything animals bring is exactly as natural as a tree. It's dather dirt that we don't like and may also be very dangerous for our health, but nature doesn't care as much for any special treatment of human beings as biological "units". In some sense it reminds me of the typical struggle of species to survive and we are in the same system like the geese. So we try to keep our place, and the geese try it too. If they "pollute" so do we. But this kind of "pollution" is inside the natural processes of decomposition and life support - they support other species like bacteria, microorganisms or even more complex animals.
Still I must say that I hunt the sparrows away with rigor from my balcony, since those clever guys love to use it as a WC. They never s**t in front of their nests but by balcony is good for that, ey? ;-) In the meanwhile those small guys are so afraid of me that they fly away like crazy whenever they see me coming. (That's good, they learned their lesson quickly! ;-))
Anyway, real pollution is not what seems "dirty", but rather what is not decomposable by nature and doesn't support any kind of life, like for example many types of chemicals and the like. And the real devlish thing is that many of them are invisible and don't smell at all. You just go swimming in some crystal clear water, and you don't think of anything, and there you get contaminated without even noticing. I was quite astonished to read in the papers that a part of the river Reuss a bit further away from the city is completely dangerous for swimming. But if you look into the water at that area it looks completely clean. You can't even imagine some danger because of pollution. Strange thing, isn't it?
Nick
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 6/4/2008
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Thanks for the great comment Nick.
I agree completely with what you say about the distinction between pollution and natural processes. It is kind of hard to come to terms with crystal clear lakes and rivers often being much more dangerous and polluted than the muddy, murky lakes full of plant life, insects and fish. But, it is very true.
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 6/6/2008
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BTW, what about Canada? I hear from many friends, who visited your country, that Canadians are in general very conscious and sensitive in such subjects, and they try to keep the grandious nature of the country unspoiled. Is that true? And if so, unfortunately some southern neighbor seems to be less interested for that and keeps breaking all records of emissions which don't know about country borders. So, is there any friction about this?
Nick
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 6/10/2008
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Hi Nick,
I think there is some friction about who is at fault for our failing air quality and such. The U S blames Canada and we blame the U S.
I general, I believe most people in both countries feel that they would like to keep as much of the landscape un-spoiled.
I am lucky to live in an area that is right on the edge of a huge conservation area called the Rouge Valley. Many fights have gone on over the years to keep this area free of development. Many of my local nature images are taken within 10k of my house while on a hike in the valley.
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 6/14/2008
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Thanks a lot for the info, Andre! So it seems that there is a good will from both sides, even if there is some blaming for the time being. It means that the first steps are already made in the minds of all people around for a bit of greater sensitivity for such subjects.
Now I also understand why you always manage to get such good images of nature! You just live in it! I guess you have pretty much fun there, but also some of that "into the wild" kind of views.
Cheers!
Nick
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 6/17/2008
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Hi Nick,
We have plenty of "Nature Lovers / Tree Huggers" that live around here to keep the developers on their toes. :)
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 6/18/2008
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Heheee, then I'll be waiting for some images of some nature lover hugging a tree, Andre! Or even hitting a car with an umbrella!!! ;-)
Nick
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Andre Denis
{K:55208} 6/24/2008
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Eventually, I will get around to doing some social commentary type images. :)
Andre
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Nick Karagiaouroglou
{K:83087} 6/25/2008
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Would be nice to see! Some of the images of that kind seem to invite the spectator to take a look with one eye serious and the other humorous - something like that.
Cheers!
Nick
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