First Freeze and Skagit Geese

     Had our first hard freeze of the Fall on Saturday November 11 so figured this would be another good opportunity to give the Canon 100L IS f2.8 lens another workout attached to the Canon 5D Mark II. For me the freeze brings out such dramatic details, patterns and structure in the fallen leaves. The macro images are all 3 exposure blends, blended in photoshop CS6 along with Nik and Topaz filters.
     After the morning macro shoot my beautiful wife and I headed up to the Skagit Valley (about 60 miles north of Seattle) to see if the annual migration of Canada Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans had arrived. During the winter months in the Skagit Valley thousands upon thousands of Canada Snow Geese and hundreds of Trumpeter Swans from as far as the islands off  Russia take winter residency in the rich agricultural fields located throughout the valley.
     It truly is a sight to see and hear hundreds of snow geese taking off from a field together flying wing tip to wing tip in formation and yet never colliding into each other, it truly is a sight and lesson to be seen in communication and beauty.
     I can not recommend enough if you are in the Seattle area between Mid November and late February one really owes it to themselves to head on up to the Skagit Valley to witness first hand the beauty of the Canada Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans.

                                          A huge flock of Canada Snow Geese flying from field to field
                                          Looking for food during the winter months in the Skagit Valley
                                          Of Washington State

                                          Snow Geese keeping each other in check while feeding in the
                                          Rich agricultural fields of the Skagit Valley

                                          Many of the members of certain flocks are banded for tracking
                                          And other information gathered by biologists

                                          Incredible to see the perfect formation and spacing the Snow
                                          Geese keep while flying from field to field

                                          A Fern gives way to the seasons first hard freeze the frost
                                          Adds such a nice dramatic look and feel

                                                           The hard freeze brings out so many
                                                           Textures, patterns and structures in the
                                                           Fallen Fall leaves
                                                         

                                          Hundreds of Canada Snow Geese flying from field to field in
                                          Perfect harmony in the Skagit Valley about 60 miles north of
                                          Seattle, WA best months Mid-Nov through Late Feb

                                          The fine details of the frost captured by the Canon 100L IS
                                           f2.8 lens almost looks like sugar coated leaves