Are swans cliche? Maybe. Do I think that they are beautiful? Yes. This pair was lazing away an afternoon on a lake where I was looking for winter ducks. None of those to be seen but these two made up for it.
These swans were in front of a marina and the water was colored with too many mult-colored reflections. And, since I wanted a pretty tight crop and you can't see the boats causing the color on the water, it was just confusing. Before getting rid of it, I thought I'd try minimalising down to just the birds. The soft focus is also intentional and I didn't want the darkness to be harsh so I softened the image. I'm happy with the outcome.