I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
(Jimmy Cliff)
Exposure to sunlight increases the brain's release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with lifting your mood and helping a person feel calm and focused
For me, a gloriously sunny morning at Stocker’s Lake certainly lifted my spirits and provided some wonderful opportunities for some more pictures.
While the ‘golden hours’, the last hour before sunset and the first hour after sunrise, are often talked about as having the best light for photography there is a lot to be said for bright sunshine, especially if it is accompanied by blue skies.
The brightness of the light can cause over-exposure but it also allows you to shoot with a faster speed which can be very useful if you are shooting objects (birds) that are further away. It certainly helped with this shot of a cormorant.
However perhaps the effect I love best is the combination of brighter light, blue skies and courtesy of the reflection of that sky, a blue lake. The azure contrasts, and help bring out the colours of the birds’ plumage.
The brightness can also bring out the iridescence of insects
It provides a lovely background for birds in trees
It complements the green of trees and other foliage.
Even when the foliage is brown
If there is no wind the now sky-blue lake becomes a near perfect mirror, meaning you can get two birds for the price of one - so 'two' young grebes
So as you will have noticed today's shots all use the sunshine, even these ones of the jay which would have ben far more difficult to shoot on a dull overcast day.
it also provided the contrast for some shots of a heron which was hidden away in the bushes
So I'll end where I started with a lakescape
Footnote: While it turns out that 'I can see clearly now' is actually a Jimmy Cliff song I must admit that it is the Johnny Nash version that I had, and still have playing in my head. (Showing my age I suppose.)
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