Trumpeters with Mature Signets
“Trumpeters with Young” original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge. Original painting sold.
After hours of hiding in the brush watching Trumpeter Swan on Chitina Town Lake, and crawling on my belly with tripod and camera, I finally got a few shots of the swans and their young before they hastily swam to the opposite shore. Then, I’d sneak quietly around the shoreline to the other side and start all over again. I repeated this routine for hours. It was uncanny how the swans knew what I was trying to do, as soon as I’d ease my camera into position they moved out of range. Of course, it I were a professional photographer I would have had much bigger lenses and this would not have been a problem, but with my little 75-210mm zoom it was a challenge. To make matters worse the temperatures hovered near freezing and below, my feet and hands ached from the cold. I’d periodically return to my vehicle and run the heater to thaw out. Through the years my efforts rewarded me with some wonderful research for future paintings. Patience pays.
More tomorrow,
Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Art
