A walk in the park

While running some errands on Saturday afternoon, I decided to take a drive to Fielding Memorial Park in Lively to take some pictures of the resident ducks. I use photography sometimes for stress relief, and have come to the realization that clicking the shutter release makes me happy inside.

Some folks use exercise, cooking, music, or even shopping, for stress relief. Everyone should have some way to rid themselves of negative energy.

I began to walk through the park and, before finding the ducks in question, I came across a little squirrel feverishly eating some sunflower seeds that someone had carefully placed on a big snow covered rock. I held my camera up and began shooting.

He gave me plenty of time to compose the scene in different ways; vertically, horizontally, using a technique called "rule of thirds" to place the subject where it will cause the most impact in a picture.

After a few minutes, I felt the stress slip away and forgot about what had to be accomplished before the weekend was over. I continued on my walk.

Along the way, I noticed colourful plastic laundry soap jugs, modified to become bird feeders, hanging from trees so that we may help to keep the birds well fed over the winter.

Finally, I arrived at the Kelly Lake Dam, which is within the park, and was happy to see many mallards congregated and three big white trumpeter swans mulling about, two of whom appeared to be a mated pair.

Some ducks were huddled in a ball on the ice that had formed around the shore, with their heads tucked under their wings. Others had come to visit me, and I felt bad that I had not thought to bring bread to feed them.

Water was flowing quickly towards the dam, and there was a small waterfall which some of the mallards would play in. I saw some ducks paddling to the edge and then letting the current take them over and down to the mini rapids below.

Camera in hand, I snapped some fantastic shots of this happening. There were ice-covered rocks at the bottom of the little waterfall, which made great subjects as well.

One trumpeter swan approached me as I knelt on the ground in the snow to take his picture. I snapped him in the water, in the weeds and standing on the ice. When I finished getting the shots I wanted, I turned and started walking away. I looked back, to see all the mallards swimming towards me, as if saying, "Don't go.”

Don’t worry, I will be back soon, with bread and seeds!

If you would like to more of the pictures I took at Fielding Park, please visit my website, www.janetyoungphotography.com.

Janet Young is an amateur photographer who likes to share community events with Sudburians.