Lonely as a cloud (click for larger view)

"I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills"

Wordsworth had a very suitable surname!

I stepped up the ISO for this one as the light grew noticeably dimmer due to

the thickening mist.

Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Thank You

Hi Alf,

I love everything about this image.  You have captured the mood well with the mist and dim light.  A serene setting I think. 

Hi Alf,

A wonderful result seen, especially under less than optimal conditions.

technically spot on, too.

Best Regards my friend, Mike

Hi Alf

It can be titled as Swan Lake by Alf, an alternative visual Symphony. Really wonderful calm atmosphere, I like the waves that precede Swan too. best wishes

This one is lovely also and as Mike said, it was taken  in conditions that were  less than ideal.  The swan really gives it a needed visual contrast.  I am trying to imagine this image made a bit lighter (without blowing out the whites in the swan) to reduce the grey but this is a personal taste.   All the best as I listen to a dance mix of Silent Night and other carols on the radio,

Well done, I absolutely agree with all above opinions... :-)

Regards.

A beautiful result with very nice lighting, Alf!

Alf,

  Beautiful scene with wonderful mood & reflection.  Take care, Patsy

Hi Alf,  A very beautiful setting for this image. The soft reflections are also nice. Your composition, as always, is very well balanced and the solitary swan a perfect fit. Very tranquil. Take care my friend.

Best Always,

Holger

Everything on its place, special effect of the mist, wonderful architecture and clearly shown the main subject or let me say the central point of view! Most original and beautiful photograph! Congratulations, Alf!

Best regards

PDE

it has a very tranquil and comforting expression...i love the soft colors of the background...well done Alf...regards....David

A beautiful tranquil shot Alf! Love the mood.

All the best,
Neil

I think this is exactly what you saw that moment,in large view I am completely in this scenery and feel the tranquility of this scene,magic of the fog,no sound just you and swan,I like your imagination for title too,super.

sincerely radu

Superb reality... A very therapeutic image, just looking at it is calming...  Mike

Many Thanks for your thoughtful feedback! 

The light was indeed beginning to fade with the ever thickening mist and I even had to up the ISO in order to get a reasonably quick shutter speed.  The serenity didn't last though, as the rain soon followed the mist.

Best Regards 

Alf 

MIKE P

As you are aware sometimes less than ideal condition strangely make for ideal conditions, particularly when it comes mood and atmosphere.  Sincere Thanks for your thoughts and kind words my friend! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

MUSEEB 

I too was thinking of "Swan Lake" as a title but dismissed as being a bit too predicable, good to know I wasn't the only one though : - ) 

Sincere Thanks & Best Wishes to you Museeb! 

Alf 

TONY 

The very conditions that made the photograph difficult to capture are the same ones that made it worth capturing.  In other words a bright dry sunny day just wouldn't have looked as atmospheric.  I have to say you might just have a point about the brightness, it was something I considered increasing  but opted on the side of caution, as I didn't want to spoil the mood.  I have done that far too often in the past, that is, started with a moody misty image and then processed all the atmosphere out of it.  I guess it's knowing where to stop.

It's good to know you enjoyed viewing this as you get in the festive mood! 

Sincere Thanks for your careful consideration and helpful feedback! 

Alf 

JACK 

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

RUUD 

Thank you so much! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

PATSY 

There was a different mood for every minute that passed! 

Sincere Thanks  & Best Regards 

Alf 

HOLGER 

There was another swan present (they usually come in pairs) but it was out of the frame to the left. I couldn't get them together and when I did there would invariably be one of them with it's bottom in the air and it's head submerged" Eventually I got this one in the frame and quickly took the shot. But I have to say they are not the most compliant of models : - ) 

Sincere Thanks for your thoughtful feedback my friend! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

PIERRE 

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback, much appreciated!  

Getting the composition right on this one, wasn't quite as simple as it looked, swans can be very unreliable models, and kept ducking their heads under the water. 

Cheers Pierre! 

Alf 

DAVID 

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words.

It was a most rewarding couple of hours, the gradual introduction of the mist and drizzly rain gave an ever changing mood to the surrounding scenery. I too liked the softness that th emist conveyed.

Best Regards 

Alf 

DIMITRIS 

"Visual Poetry" Those two carefully chosen words mean a lot to me, and particularly when they come from such a distinguished source.

Sincere Thanks my friend! 

Alf 

NEIL 

The damp drizzly conditions of the lake district are legendary, but it never diminishes the beauty, it just lets you look at it through a softer filter.

Sincere Thanks Neil! 

Alf 

RADU 

You are most astute. It is as far as I could possibly reproduce accurately what I saw in that instant.  

The words for the title as you may know are taken from perhaps the most famous Wordsworth Poem.

"I wandered lonely as a cloud, that floats on high o'er vale and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils

Beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze" 

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Radu.

Best Regards 

Alf 

MIKE M 

Maybe I should try and sell it to some very rich shrinks for use in their waiting rooms, and of course I'll miss out the part in the story about the damn swans ducking their heads under the water every time I pointed the camera at them : - ) 

Sincere Thanks Mike 

Alf 

Some images call for a verbal response; others do not.  When a verbal response is not called for, providing one is to miss the point.  This is one such image.

Your work is a continual source of inspiration to me.  I am grateful.

My best always,

michael

Sometimes less is so much more and your poignant words do me a great honour.

Sincere Thanks

Alf 

Just Masterful.

Well done

Best regards

Hi, Alf!

No much to comment: gorgeous picture! Warm regards, Tamara

Hard to argue with perfection. Nice work Alf.

I am going crazy! I haven't been out with my camera now for two whole weeks!

At this rate I might have to find some headless birds in the garden : - ) 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards  Grayham! 

Alf 

TAMARA 

I am very pleased you like it Tamara, sometimes just such an indication helps a lot. 

Warm Regards 

Alf 

STEVE 

I'm going to have your words framed and placed in a prominent position behind my chair so the wife can read them : - ) 

Thanks for your interest and kind words Steve! 

Alf 

Amazing details and quality in large version. The scene is exquisitely beautiful with this beautiful swan , mist added touch, and composition is nice. I disagree with any frame, specially for your unique works like this ;)

My best regards,

Hamid.

I remember memorising that poem at school  :-)

Excellent result, especially for hand held ! The swan is so crisp and just in the right place and is invaluable for the mood.  One of the things which could not definitely be said about it (except for the info supplied) is what decade, or indeed century, it pictures - somewhat timeless.

Not surprised at ISO 560, would have guessed at more.

Warm regards

Jim

Thank you so much for your thoughts and kind words, much appreciated! 

I continue to experiment with all things photographically, and presentation with  frames is just one of them.  It's good to get views and opinions though, it is very useful. But I probably wouldn't leave the frame on if I were to get it printed.

Best Regards Hamid

Alf 

JIM 

All's I can say Jim, is that you must have had a fine education! : - ) 

 I really like your note about it looking timeless, I'd never considered the image in that context, but now you mention it, the backdrop is sufficiently obscured by fog that I can see it does lend itself to that suggestion.

Sincere Thanks for your thoughtful feedback! 

Best Regards

Alf