At this time of the year we experience the change in seasons in many different ways. We feel the gradual cooling of the weather. We see the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. We hear (and see) the unmistakable sound of flocks of migrating Canada Geese (Branta canadensis).
Although we seem to have a resident population of Canada Geese in our area year-round, during the spring and summer large flocks of geese fly through our area and it is quite common to hear the loud honking of the geese as they fly overhead. Sometimes they fly in military precision in a v-formation, but more often than not they are in a looser formation, as was the case with these Canada Geese that I photographed last week while I was looking for dragonflies at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge in Northern Virginia.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Profile of a goose
Posted in Birds, commentary, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Huntley Meadows Park, migrating, migrating geese, portrait, profile on November 24, 2012| 4 Comments »
The Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) continue to make migratory stops at Huntley Meadows Park, the local marshland in which I have been taking a lot of photos recently and I have been able to observe them closely. I am always struck by their beautifully expressive eyes, which seem to reflect an inner gentleness.
The old proverb says that the eyes of the mirror of the soul. I have been told from the outset that I should always strive to have the eyes in focus when I am photographing people and animals. As far as I can tell, that’s one of the few rules of photography that is almost never broken.
How often do you make eye contact with other people? I am amazed at how infrequently people acknowledge the presence of others by looking into their eyes. It was one of the biggest adjustments I had to make when I left military service, in which you saluted and greeted everyone in uniform that you passed. So often people pass each other without any visual signal that they recognize the presence of other sentient being. Needless to say, I am not a fan of wearing headphones in public.
People may think that you are a little strange, but I encourage you to look others in the eye and smile and greet them—it’s amazing how their attitude and expressions change.
Profile of a Canada Goose
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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