Digital, 2022.
Swans and mallard ducks frolicking together in Lake Ontario on a cloudy, winter afternoon.
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Digital, 2022.
Another series of images of swans by Lake Ontario during winter. During our previous visit, we fed them peas and they seemed to like that enough. But did they ever go crazy for the bird feed! It allowed them to become comfortable with us around and it allowed me to get close to them to snap a few photographs.
The fifth image is my favourite. The combination of the sunlight on the blue water and the swan spreading its wings feels so magical. In that moment, the swan started flapping its wings and I just started snapping photos, hoping that one of them would capture the moment. My brother turned to look at me and asked excitedly, “did you catch that?!” I replied, “I sure hope I did!” I was so relieved when I got home and saw that the shot I adored out of that burst was crisp and in focus. Sometimes you really do need to be at the right place at the right time.
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Digital, 2022.
A lonesome bird by the edge of a frozen Lake Ontario during a sunny afternoon in winter.
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Digital, 2022.
A variety of winter scenes by a frozen Lake Ontario on a sunny day.
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Digital, 2022.
There were so many swans here on this gorgeous, winter day. We fed them some bird friendly food (don’t feed birds bread as it’s not good for them. We opted for peas before purchasing specially made bird feed) and they quickly became comfortable with being around us. I wouldn’t have been able to take these photos had it not been for the food.
I remember this one sweet swan that came close to me, waiting for me to feed it. I ran out of peas but I swear, the puppy dog eyes this swan gave me were unreal. It kept looking at my phone in my hands, possibly thinking it was something to eat, and I felt terrible knowing I had nothing to give. After a few moments of soulful looks from the swan, it eventually realized I had nothing to offer and it swam off to join its friends. The action was so human that I couldn’t help but laugh.
All in all, I’m very pleased with how these photos turned out. I was so ecstatic taking them and I couldn’t wait until I could go home to review them and begin editing. The position of the sun and the slight haze of the clouds allowed for the most gorgeous lighting. The way light was glittering on the water’s surface was so captivating and made the scene look so magical when it became a backdrop for the swans. That burst of energy I get from an excellent photo taking session is so motivating!
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Digital, 2022.
Some winter landscape photos taken by Lake Ontario on a sunny afternoon. Winter days like this are my favourite kinds of winter days: where the sky is blue and the sun is out in full force. It can be very deceiving on cold days, though. On this day, it was definitely very decieving!
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Digital, 2022.
A pink and purple sunset as seen from Ashbridge’s Bay in Toronto. It was so cold on this evening and it was even colder seeing as I was right by the lake. As pretty as the sunset was, we left at the first sign of it fading as we were all starting to lose feeling in our legs.
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Digital, 2022.
I ended up taking these photos by chance. My family and I were off to Ashbridge’s Bay for some fresh air when we happened upon this view while looking for parking. I couldn’t help but be drawn to the colour of the sky and the way its colours reflected off the frozen Lake Ontario. Sunset wasn’t due for another little while but if I didn’t know any better, I would think it was already happening.
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Digital, 2022.
A trio of birds swimming during golden hour on a chilly evening by Lake Ontario.
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Digital, 2022.
A trio of swans swimming amongst other birds during a cold afternoon by Lake Ontario.
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Gina Staios Photography 