Cat Tails...nothing else

[Plumcrak]

I went up to the cabin today hoping to find some birds or animals of any sort...there was NOTHING. The only thing that caught my eye was these cat-tails, so here I go clicking away at some shedding plant matter. Oh well, gotta do something to pass the time.

C & C welcome

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Is it distracting that the foreground cat-tails are out of focus in the last two?

[Bobobird]

Winters around here are like that too. Go out looking for birds and what not and the only thing staring at us are these tails.

Of these shots I like #2 best.

[HiImTom]

Sometimes if I can't find anything I get down on my hands and knees and crawl around. I try and see "it" as if I never have seen it before. Fall deeply in love with it. This is especially fun when it something most people walk over and never take the time to bend down and see.

I like #3. the dark (brown) and white contrast. Duality for sure

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Jon,

#2 is my pick too.

It is probably no accident that three people chose the two simplest compositions, which possibly indirectly answers your last question.

By way of C&C, all are a bit blown in the highlights, which for me spoils #3 especially, quite a bit.

It can be very disappointing when there's no wildlife to photograph, I have found that in 2012 more than previous years
However, you made an effort to come back with something and want to learn from the experience, so if I were wearing a hat, I'd take it off to you

Cheers,

[Plumcrak]

Bob, Tom and Dave, Thanks for viewing and taking the time to comment. I gave a little thought to re-working these but I just don't think I will get enough out of them to justify. I too prefer the minimalistic views. I have decided that my original vision for the last two just didn't work out. I thought a slight out of focus foreground might be interesting...Ooops!!

[Steve S]

I've always found cattails to be a very tough subject to photograph. (i've tried many times and never liked what i shot)

There is always so many of them, they are hard to isolate. Perhaps if you clipped a few and moved them to a good location with a clean background.

I like the close-up shots the best jon. You did a great job on the exposure, it's just finding the right angle and background.