![Least Grebe at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas](https://www.twoshutterbirds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Least_Grebe2_CCunningham.jpg)
Waterbirds are among my favorite subjects and, as often as not, the surface of the water itself becomes a major compositional element within the photo. Some photographers tend to shoot at a very low angle to show the bird at eye-level. In doing this, though, the surface of the water is lost, which is why I prefer to shoot at a slight downward angle . . . .
![Pied-billed Grebe with Red Swamp Crawfish at Elm Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas](https://www.twoshutterbirds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Pied-billed_crawfish_CCunningham.jpg)
I love the colors of water and the features that form and travel across its surface. Waves, rings, and wakes add a level of energy and context to the avian subject. The color and surface texture of the water inform the viewer about the day the image was taken. The winter colors of the Willet below, for example, indicate the season, but the chaotic, deep blue surface of the water tells the viewer that this was a cold, clear, blustery day.
![Willet with Shrimp, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas](https://www.twoshutterbirds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Willet_with_Shrimp_CCunningham.jpg)
Water, of course, is charismatic enough to be more than just the setting and can become the subject itself. The raging torrent below beckons to the stunning mountains of the West. I wish we were there . . . .
![Waterfall on the Yellowston River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.](https://www.twoshutterbirds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Waterfall_CCunningham.jpg)
Water is the driving force of all nature.—Leonardo da Vinci
©2014 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.