The birds of San Elijo Lagoon on camera

San Elijo Lagoon is a beautiful wetland that always has at least a few species of shorebirds and ducks for bird watchers to see. On this small trail we went on, we mostly saw ducks and grebes, but we got the occasional Phoebe, Egret and raptor. 

I am also learning photography at my school from my teacher, and about how different lines can create different feelings. Example, horizontal lines can give a calm feeling, vertical lines can create a feeling of strength, oblique lines give a feeling of change, and organic lines(natural curves) give a feeling of a natural movement.

The two rules of photography I learned, are the Rule of Thirds and the Rule of Odds. The Rule of Thirds is about positioning the parts of the picture. Science explains that the eye looks at the middle of the picture last. So, if the main part of the picture is not in the middle, it has a stronger effect on the viewer. Imagine putting a tic-tac-toe grid on top of a picture. If the main focus of the picture is on one of the lines or intersections of the grid, or in a space that is not the middle then it has a stronger appeal for the person viewing. If the main focus of the photograph is in the middle rectangle, then it cannot be in the middle of the middle rectangle; it can be in the corner.

The Rule of Odds is about quantity of main focuses in the photo. Science also explains that it is more appealing to the eye to have an odd number of subjects than even number. In our pictures it is better to have an odd number especially groups of three. I tried to follow that rule as much as I can. With moving subjects and so many of them, it was hard. Also, there are only a few opportunities for good shots, and some of them only have even numbers. Take the mallard duck. The pairs are monogamous; they mate for life. It is hard to separate a pair in any picture.

Let's take a look at some pictures.It was quite a cloudy day, keep that in mind!

At the start of the trail, I took a picture to show where we are

This is a wonderful view of Pintails in flight. None of them are in the middle of the picture. I tried for three but got four

Pintails in flight

A pair of Mallards, but luckily a pintail came in. The pintail is the one with the long tail. None are in the middle and I followed the Rule of Odds.

Mallard pair + Pintail

A beautiful Green Wing Teal, not perfectly in the middle.

One, Eared Grebe, kept on diving, was hard to catch. 6 ducks in the background so I accidentally followed the Rule of Odds

Eared Grebe

One Black Phoebe, really puffy (in my opinion). Purposely off-centered.

Another nice view of the lagoon

An off-centered Great Egret!

'nother puffy Phoebe, this time Say's

Took it for the contrast; green and brown

All good things come to an end.

I think these are bones of a dead bird.

On flowers as a subject for photography

If i were a skilled photographer I would take pictures of flowers, for they are beautiful and diverse. Flowers vary in color and it's great to have pictures of something so colorful.

Flowers are a great example of how there is so much geometry in nature. Having pictures of them can show the concept. I personally love spending time in nature, observing, so seeing all the types of shapes and kinds of flowers give me something to hold in my memory, and if these flowers are from a different part of the world, I can take pictures of them and keep them with me.

Flowers come in so many varieties, so I can never exhaust my pictures, especially if I can take them in many different angles. Seeing the diverse beauty of flowers is great, but seeing it without having to stay in one place, without picking them is even better. That is the beauty of taking pictures.

Flowers can fit in with almost any feeling, so if I take a picture I can hang it almost anywhere in my house. These are some of the reasons why if I was a skilled photographer I would take pictures of flowers.