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Motherhood


Motherhood
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 0 N: 1623] (5300)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-06-12
Categories: Birds
Camera: KODAK EasyShare Z730
Exposure: f/6.0, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Family Matters 2 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-02-15 8:50
Viewed: 547
Points: 50
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Spring is coming and with it, the nesting birds will be back from South to nest at our latitude and further north. It also means that the birds, the animals, the plants will begin their process of growing, blooming and reproducing thus dying or leaving...

The mallards will be back to the lake and in June, the pretty chicks will be back with their mother. We will see about 3 families of ducklings floating on the water, hiding or resting on warm rocks or the decks, like here on this picture.

I noticed they seem to enjoy resting in all kind of places, either it is to take the sun, warm themselves or maybe is it to dry and then preening each other. I go out with the kayak and try to find the families and count the chicks. Then we watch them throughout summer until they leave to go south because they rarely spend winter here. Sometimes they do because someone living close by the lake is feeding them. One year a whole family stayed and we could find, once in a while, some wings or bones on the snow, a duck had been eaten probably by a fox. They don't have much chance of surviving here in winter because food is scarce unless someone feeds them and the predators are also hungry. They live on the lake which is filled with ice and snow thus it takes time to take flight. Yet, some survive and the next summer, they begin the whole cycle again.

This picture is part of a small series I shot. I went to the lake one day and these chicks and mom were on the deck resting. I approached very slowly but a mother is careful and vigilant. She heard me and slowly, silently, the little ducks trouped around the mother and flop they went in the water. It was real cute and you can see the gathering of the flock on the workshop photo.

It is beautiful to look at all the care and vigilance a mother duck is giving to her babies. It impresses me a lot and when you think of it, human mothers, most of the time, give totally themselves to the babies too.

I am also posting in the workshop a picture of an eye of my little nephew. I went to babysit him yesterday and took some pictures. When I saw this eye in the picture, I couldn't help but post it here on TN.

I am sure that every mother who loves her baby, be it a small human or little animals, when she looks in the eyes of her infant, this is what she sees.

Hope you enjoy.

Francine

This post was shot in jpeg and resized for TN
Brightness and contrast adjusted
CeltickRanger, nglen, warnzy, goldyrs, eqshannon, marhowie, Luis52, jusninasirun, claudine has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

bonjour Francine

d'abord je vais te dire que j'aimes beaucoup cette genre de photo
une maman avec ses petits, j'ai fait ma limite de 100 photos
favoris et bientôt je vais faire un thème personnel pour des photos
comme celle-ci où je donnerais comme nom « tendresse »

car il y a une tendresse qui se dégage de ta belle photo,
et quand tu raconte comme la vigilance de cette Maman colvert
a fait qu'avec ces petits sont allé à l'eau, alors je vois
(ou m'imagine) ton image statique en image vidéo,

merci pour le partage de cette belle photo

Asbed

Bonjour Francine,
Lovely scene of a perfect family well captured from a perfect spot!
it give you a very serene and peaceful atmosphere with the nature!
good clarity, colour and details
well done once again also thanks for notes
merci
Tony

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1812 W: 29 N: 5246] (17188)
  • [2008-02-15 10:16]

Hi Francine,
I will be back.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5960] (22528)
  • [2008-02-15 10:18]

Hi Francine. The mother Malard has her hands full with that lot they will all be grown up by Know and having young of they own. a nice compostion . with good detail and colours. well done TFS.
Nick..
Have a good weekend.

Hello Francine
This is a super scene..I really dont think I have seen mother with so many young..has she adopted a few!!...Very good framing with the greenery in the foreground and the central composition of the jetty and Family with a nice angle..The reflections from the sky in the water finish it off perfectly.
A very well thought out picture.
And I really like your workshops.
A good Weekend to you and yours.
Paul

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 515 W: 8 N: 1135] (4182)
  • [2008-02-15 11:16]

Bonjour Francine,
Lovely presentation, looks like this mother got her
wings full.. great pov and composition.. Well done

Everton

Coucou Francine,
voilà un bien joli portrait de famille, la lumière est excellente et le reflet du ciel bleu dans l'eau ajoute beacoup à cette jolie compo,
bravo et merci,
amitiés,
Pat

Hi Francine,

That's some family - presumably she's picked up a few strays along the way? Anyway, nice to see them enjoying the sun. The diagonal composition works very well. I also loved the picture of your nephew. Do you post on TrekLens too? If not, you should.

Mike

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1427 W: 128 N: 5252] (23221)
  • [2008-02-15 13:47]

Bonjour Francine, toute la famille se chauffe la couenne! Que c'est beau, tu as su saisir toute la poésie dans cette scène. C'est très touchant. Bravo et merci!

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2847)
  • [2008-02-15 14:19]

Bonjour Francine,

Une très jolie composition que tu nous présentes aujourd'hui sous des conditions climatiques très envieuses. C'est une photo reposante et très sereine avec de belles couleurs naturelles sous une parfaite lumière. Bien fait!

Lise

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1305 W: 0 N: 5107] (15234)
  • [2008-02-15 15:10]

Hi Francine

Lovely shot - welol composedwith good DOF.

Sorry this is short - on hotel interent in Madeira

James

Amazing detail...Excellent colours.
thanks for sharing,

Regards,
Goldy

hello francine,
nice capture, this beautiful mother malard has got these cute young ones, liked the composition and the pov, the reflections of the blue sky on the water makes a beautiful scene,
well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

Are you certain you are not a professional photographer?:-) Dang that is great. If I took a pic with the dock in it...it would NOT look nearly as good as this...Simply a fine work and image and NO...forget your analyst!:-)
Bob

Hi Francine,
Cute photo as the clan does it's sunbathing thing.
I liked the "eye of nephew" WS too, you can see the sparkling fountain of youth in there if you just look close enough :)
TFS,
Howard

very nice composition.the colors are beautiful and the detail is very good.nice job!

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1026 W: 5 N: 2888] (10447)
  • [2008-02-15 18:50]

Hola Francine.
Una muy hermosa foto de la familia. Todos reunidos junto a su madre, deben sentirse muy bien potegidos. Aradable y fins presentacion Francine.
Saludos
Luis52.

Francine, por los colores, la luz, e incluso algunos temas, tus fotografías tienen, a mi entender, como un punto de tristeza o de seriedad. Es el caso de esta toma, ya que a pesar de ser bella en forma y tema, tiene algo de melancólico.
Por cierto, muy buena en encuadre y con una ténue y atractiva luz.
Saludos: Josep Ignasi.

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-02-15 20:37]

Hello Francine

This is a wonderful summertime shot.It has that feel good atmosphere.
I think it would be a great place to be ,hanging out on the end of the dock.
The water has a lovely reflection in it
Well focused and composed.
TFS

Rob

Hello Francine,

This is so pristine and wonderful to keep looking at. The deck extended well into the lake for the family to rest. The inclusion of the grass in the foreground is very well thought. Please allow me to add this to my personal theme.

Regards,
Jusni

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1888 W: 245 N: 6180] (22002)
  • [2008-02-16 3:00]

Aww what a cute little family of Ducks!
Ducklings are probably the cutest of all baby birds!
Nice lighting and even exposure.
Superb sharpness and clarity.
I love the reflection of the sky in the water.
Great work Francine.
Thanks,
Joe

Bonjour,
Ce n'est pas le repos du guerrier mais presque !
Bonne journée.
clnaef
ps j'ignore momentanément le nom du buisson qui figure sur ma dernière photo.

Salut Francine,
Bien que je trouve l'exposition un tantinnet sombre sur les canards, ça demeure une superbe composition avec de très belles teintes de couleurs. J'aime beaucoup la façon dont tu as cadré l'image et la position du quai. Aussi, il a été judicieux de laisser ces herbes en premier plan. C'est vraiment très joli avec de belles photos en WS. Merci!
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1111 W: 1 N: 4518] (15132)
  • [2008-02-16 13:33]

Bonjour Francine,
What a sweet and darling image you bring to us here. Your notes are also splendid as normal. My Lucy and I while canoeing, witnessed a mother Mallard defend her babies from a mink that was trying to make a meal of them, she would attack the mink at the risk of her own life then round the babies up only to have to fend it off again and again, I am happy to say she saved them all.
Thank you for the memories.
Rick

Bonjour Francine,
Quelle magnifique composition, superbes détails et couleurs, j'adore.
Bravo
Marie

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