In one of my previous articles, I wrote about nature photography, suggesting that "when flies are buzzing around you, you can't expect to photograph swans."
Actually, you can.
I was absorbed in observing insects when suddenly I heard a loud "SWOOSH - SWOOSH - SWOOSH - SWOOSH - SWOOSH..." behind me. What was that? I turned toward the sound, and a large swan was flying just above the water surface around me. The noise came from its wing movements.
I left the insects behind and turned my camera toward the big bird. There was no time to fiddle with camera settings. I knew I only had two or three seconds. So, risking a completely blurry shot (which actually happened), I tracked the swan in my viewfinder and kept pressing the shutter button.
A control question: did I capture its takeoff or landing? I'll reveal that at the end.
As the swan flew just above the water's surface, it sprayed water around itself, creating a scene reminiscent of the iconic photograph of an F-14 Tomcat fighter jet skimming over the ocean.
It was visually and acoustically impressive. Powerful wing beats, splashing, whistling air, and water spraying. A swan can weigh around twenty-two pounds and have a wingspan of about six and a half feet. It's no lightweight, and when it moves, you definitely notice.
So what was this exactly? What did you guess? A takeoff or landing?
Actually, neither. The swan just wanted to quickly cross from one end of the pond to the other. Swimming seemed too slow, and the distance was too short for a proper flight. So it "flew" using its wings and legs, barely lifting off the water's surface.
Swans can be full of surprises.
