The 1,000 miles of waterways of the California Delta surrounds and runs though Stockton and San Joaquin County which makes the next subject for the Readers Photo Challenge a natural fit: Rivers. Any flowing body of water, rivers, streams, creeks, sloughs, etc., will be acceptable for this assignment.
For those who, like shooting landscapes the riparian habitat can provide wonderfully natural and verdant scenes. Wild trees, bushes and grasses grow in abundance in both rural and urban areas. You can use these as the main subjects along the waters’ edge or to shoot through them and use them to frame your scene. You can use a slow moving river to reflect the scenery around it. Depending on how still the water is, a river can almost be mirror-like and double the scene’s natural beauty.
Any species of wildlife can make their homes along rivers. Animals such as turtles, otters, beavers and even sea lions are common. The most abundant are waterfowl. Geese, ducks, egrets and herons can easily be found in and about the water. Most wildlife can be a bit skittish to a human presence so approach them slowly, carefully and quietly. Having a long telephoto lens can help you get a close up shot without having to get too close physically…