Midweek Moment #51: Leaving the desk behind

Being writers, often perched in front of our computers, it’s not surprising that Louise and I find inspiration outside for our Midweek Moments.

A brisk morning. The anticipation of frost at the park down the hill. Rugged up in several layers and fingerless gloves, I made my way down the hill, enjoying the cool whisper of air on my skin, the tingling in my fingers, and fog-like mist as I breathed out. The frost was almost gone, lingering only in the shade. There was no rising mist over the lake to give me the atmospheric shots I was hoping for.

Instead, I tiptoed up to some ducks perched on the railing around the lake and snapped away, getting as close as they would allow, until they leapt into the air and skidded onto the water. And once the ripples cleared, I took this photo. The clarity of the reflection is amazing.

I managed to get about a metre away from one of the ducks before it took flight.

Louise also went to a lake and took photos of birds. She’s been sharing them on Facebook this week and they are wonderful. Like me, she allowed her senses full rein while she was out walking:

‘The lake at sunset is like a balm. The softer light, its glow, and the longer shadows. Oftentimes, the surface of the water is so still it’s like a mirror, and the reflection is so perfect it’s hard to tell what is real and what is reflected. Under a clear sky, the water is the colour of cobalt, and on a cloudy day, it looks as dark as molten iron. As you walk, you sometimes smell the boggy soil, and as you pass the wood chip piles, you catch a whiff of eucalyptus. There’s the twitter of a woodland bird, the caw of a gull, the cackle of a kookaburra, the honk of a swan. And then there’s the flapping of wings on water, and the occasional squawking disagreement over territorial space.’

She’s shared this photo of a seagull in the late afternoon sun, but do check out her blog for more photos.

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About Midweek Moment:
Louise Allan and I are writers who share a passion for photography. As a creative digression from the written word, we share our favourite photos each week in ‘Midweek Moment’. Please click over to Louise’s website to view more of her photography and to read her writing. We hope you enjoy!