CARPING ON

[FUJI]

Folks that don't know are fascinated when they see this kind of thing happening at our local pool on a regular basis.....the Water Fowl Feeding Platform is about four meters long, young families gather there on sunny days to feed the ducks, swans, Geese and Moorhens.....the local Black Headed Gull population and a fat heron join in.

 

For the past couple of years the Carp residents in the pool have grown larger and larger and tamer and tamer, they readily take bread out of your hand if a duck doesn't get there first:

 

Here, I have caught six (yes, six) Mirror? Carp surfacing after the last scraps of bread being scattered on the water late afternoon, hence the strange light and reflections.....I love the way my shutter speed has frozen the moment:

 

It takes ages to get a decent shot, because the surface frenzies are totally unpredictable, you just set to Burst Mode and shoot:

 

KIds LOVE to feed the ducks and the fishes...............on a bit of a sor note, I have seen, Eastern European blokes catching these easy prey with nets, three signs, clearly state...NO FISHING!....

 

The only Angler allowed is the fat heron:

 

THe local Council and Fishing Federation, stun the fish every so often to keep the population balanced, fish are removed to other pools and lakes:

 

Best viewed LARGE......Click on Pic:

 

 

FUJI

 

[NannyFerret]

You did much better than my last effort.

It's a nice sharp shot.

I used the burst setting to try and catch the eagles etc. in flight last week, but they moved to fast for the continuous autofocus and most were blurred.

I must remember to try it with fish when trying to get a shot next time.

[DarrenC]

This is an image that the internet requirements do no favours to? I've been thinking/reading a lot about abstract art recently. I think there's something that photographers can learn from abstract art. I think it's a basic, human response to organising elements within an image to achieve a level of visual communication. This image fails in doing it because it's not organised in visual terms?

[FUJI]

This is an image that the internet requirements do no favours to? I've been thinking/reading a lot about abstract art recently. I think there's something that photographers can learn from abstract art. I think it's a basic, human response to organising elements within an image to achieve a level of visual communication. This image fails in doing it because it's not organised in visual terms?

.????

Hi, Darren, your interesting reply intrigues me.......Why?

Because, the shot wasnt created to be an abstract, or, a particularly good photograph, instead it is literally a record of a quite unusual happening that I thought might be of general interest.

But looking at it again at those ,Squirming competing fish , with a carefully thought out crop, it might make, either, a good sharp , action photograph, or, if given a touch or two of TOPAZ, it could be crafted into a wonderful, Japanese-like, fishy Abstract?

These large wild carp, have become tamed, by the incredible amount if free and easy food, being chucked into the pool at this point daily, the fish surface, in large numbers, in a completely random manner, for a split second, so captuting a shot is just pure luck.

You, have triggered, my Innate Artistic Streak now, so will return to the origiinal capture to discover its Abstract Qualities.

Looking at the shot ...LARGE.....may help you to see all the elements, the amazing light on the swirling water, the shiny, scales, the powerful fishy movement etc?

FUJI

[NannyFerret]

Darren, I challenge you to go to Kenilworth and get a good shot of these very fast fish.  They are very very fast, and you are lucky to get any shot at all, let alone a nice clear one like this.
I like it as a nature shot, because it is just that, and it (as Fuji said) a record of the event. I don't see any need to mess too much with nature shots, except to bring out the detail etc. which is already visible in this shot.

[kev7d]

I actually quite like the shot. I am not an expert in such matters but I can recognise when I see something that pleases me. What I like is the colour of the fish and the scale detail. I can imagine the noise of the water as these animals thrash around for food. It's a frenzy that is caught in the shot. I particularly like the curve of the fish and fin in the bottom left hand corner of the frame. It looks graceful amongst the chaos. It works for me.

[NannyFerret]

They are so fast that they steal the food from the ducks mouths, before they even noticed it gone.

[DarrenC]

Sorry I keep seeming to come across a bit blunt, it wasn't intended. I like the shot & fully understand how hard it is get so sharp but with a good crop ( maybe a square one?) it could be a highly decorative keeper?

[NannyFerret]

Fuji can always come up with something to surprise us, Darren.