Swamping about

By AG STAFF December 16, 2015
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Patience and persistence were the key elements behind capturing this stunning shot.

This week’s reader photo was taken by Athena Georgiou in Perth, WA.

Athena lives near Herdsman Lake, which is the largest wetland in the inner metropolitan area of Perth.

“I often go with my camera to the water’s edge late in the afternoon, making sure the light is coming from behind me and onto the water and the birds. It is a meditation in itself just sitting and watching the waterbirds at their evening rituals,” she says.

“I set up my tripod, which has a gimbal head, and lie on a very expensive black garbage bag to get on eye-level my subject. As soon as I started shooting on this particular day, I knew the light was perfect and would produce something special. I took about 100 photos of this unconcerned purple swamphen pulling up roots.”

Athena is a keen bird watcher and, over the past two years, has been learning and practicing bird photography at least twice a week.

“I have found that if I sit quietly and for long enough, something always happens very close by. I do not walk around looking for photographic opportunities. I make sure I’m in a good spot and then settle in with my eye to the lens. Heaven.”

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