Mute Swans, Cave Hill Cemetery

Yesterday I posted an image featuring a White Mallard drake I captured along the lakefront at Cave Hill. Prior to taking that image, I had walked over to a pair of Mute Swans which had swam past me. My original reason for visiting the cemetery yesterday was specifically to capture a few images of the Swans. It was a chilly 45 degrees with a slight breeze as I followed the Mute Swans making their way from the farthest end of the lake over to where I had parked. As they swam right past me, I snapped a few more images not knowing if they'd be that close again. They floated aimlessly to the far end of the lake close by, where you can literally walk right into the water, it's that shallow.

As I approached the mated pair of Mute Swans, I wondered if they were the same pair that I visited many years ago. Knowing they weren't, as too many years had passed, I stopped short to capture this image of the afternoon sunlight and the ripple pool the Swans had created. No sooner had they reached the end of the lake as they began their preening process. Such magnificent and beautiful creatures and as graceful up close as they were from a distance. Obviously, this had been their home for quite some time and visitors were no distraction to them. I could have reached out and touched them, but I follow that unspoken rule all photographers carry with them in the back of their mind. You've heard that saying the sum of all the parts equals the whole. Well, adding the parts of this story together equals two mated Mute swans and their story of a love affair that goes on. A tad bit of texture and a border were added to this image. Hope you like it because, after looking at the end result, I decided a little fanfare made for a perfect fit. Have a great Sunday. ENJOY!