Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose...Kid

The other day I came across a grandmother walking with her two grandchildren in the park. They were feeding the ducks and geese off the lake nearby. I approached them from across the lake and took a couple shots from far away. The first images were very boring and didn't carry much weight in regards to interest. It worked for a simple photo, but the biggest problem was the green trash can in the background. I tried to walk around the bank but couldn't get the birds and the kids in the same photo.

Connie Higgins, Ethan Higgins, 6, and Derek Higgins, 3, (left to right) feeds the ducks and geese at the lake in California Park as people get outside to enjoy a break in the rain Friday, February 6, 2009 in Chico, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

They stayed there awhile as I began to walk closer to them. At that time of day the sun was getting lower to the horizon. At my first position it was casting a nice yellow glow, but after moving I was staring directly into the sunlight. I really couldn't see anything but the glare off the water.

Ethan Higgins, 6, feeds the ducks and geese at the lake in California Park as people get outside to enjoy a break in the rain Friday, February 6, 2009 in Chico, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Fortunately, this is exactly what I needed to spice the photo up. The bright reflection of the sunlight off the water made the subjects be silhouettes, creating a very simple image. It brought the focus onto the kid and the geese taking away all the distractions (i.e. a trash can). It was a simple event, but the extra searching turned it into a better image. It just goes to show that taking that extra few minutes can really pay off.