Being overwhelmed as a newbie photographer is a regular feeling for me.  Whether it’s the fact there are so many things to think about to operate the camera or just the pressure of capturing the perfect shot.

There is a positive side to all this – that feeling when you see lots of things to photograph and don’t know where to start.  I felt a bit like that this week when I stopped to photograph the windmills and was distracted by a chicken, ducks and gulls.

I know I’m in danger of overdosing on bird photographs but I can’t help myself they are so distracting and wonderful to capture in a photograph.  As I don’t want to spend lots of time processing the photographs and making them work using photo shop I’m practising framing and composing pictures.  Let’s just say it’s an adventure in trial and error!

I like this photograph of this duck from behind.  The depth of field gives is perspective but the close up on the duck makes you wonder what it’s up to.  Is is about to leap in the water or is going to lean down and take a drink.  Or is it just standing and watching and waiting.  Who knows!

Also, I wondered where it’s head was, I’m sure it’s there somewhere.

No doubt what this little duck is up to, pottering around on the lake.  The fact you can just see his webbed feet under the water gives is a sense of slight movement even though above the water she’s perfectly calm and serene.

Here’s one of those annoying pictures – one where you have a car, building or other unwelcome fixed object that is spoiling what might otherwise be a wonderful picture.  If I’d only moved around to the other side I’d have been able to capture these ducks waddling and sitting around on the grass without the hopeless background. Lazy me!

Now isn’t that nicer!  Just a duck and her friend.  I like the way the grass is covering her feet so her legs look like they are coming out of the earth. Otherwise this is a pretty dull shot.

This one is marginally more interesting as the duck is actually doing something – giving itself a bit of a preen  – but there’s no wow factor.

There’s not much of a wow factor here – except I was amused by this duck.  The way it’s neck is retracted into it’s body.  The way it’s waddling along.  But it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Here he is within a couple of waddles – paddling now!  Whilst this is a pretty cute shot it still lacks a clear story.

And finally the waddling and paddling duck is now a swimming duck. Love the ripples in the water.

In short, these pictures are clear and bright but it’s a duck.  Just any duck.  It’s only when you can put together a series of pictures can you get the same view I experienced at that moment. I guess that’s where video wins over photographs!

Although I quite like these photo story boards as you can at last see the story unfold as I saw it that day.

All in all here’s what I learned from this photo study:

• not to be lazy when it comes to framing the perfect shot – find away around that annoying background or ditch the shot
• look for the wow every time – although I still need to work out what that wow is
• the best pictures tell a story in one photo – although a series of pictures can be fun too
• I like photographing  ducks.

And to finish – the same duck as the first photo.

I don’t actually recall seeing this duck with it’s head pointing the right way. Perhaps it’s head is stuck like that!