Paired with "Rising in the Darkness", this complimentary photograph shows the mute family in a shadowed area of the lake as the male (cob) has reached the pinnacle of his stance. This photograph was taken from a canoe on the lake. I had gone out on the lake to fish for bass, but during the summer when there is a family of swans on the lake, I always bring out my camera. At one point in the afternoon the family seemed to drift into a corner, under the trees, to continue feeding. In those few quick moments I noticed the light seemed to be reflecting only on the swans. I quickly put down the pole and picked up my camera, which I always have loaded with film for this kind of moment. As I was making the fish/photo transition, I saw the male begin the process of rising. During the feeding process of the mute swans for their cygnets, the male or female will begin to thrust back and forth with their tail and in turn begin to stir up the bottom of the lake to free up aquatic life on the lake bed. In doing so, the mature birds use this freed up vegetation to then feed the young cygnets who do not have the longer necks that allow them to feed from the lake bottom. This thrusting movement is also done at times in preparation for the male to open it's wings and then rise up, as in "Rising in the Darkness". This motion is a a magnificent sight to observe, for at the pinnacle of the stance the birds seems to be claiming dominance over everything around them. I interpret this as a moment where I may capture the swan in it's perfection. I photographed the sequence of rising in just a few seconds, but in those few seconds ten exposures were made. "Rising" and "Standing" together give you the feeling I felt on that warm, sunny afternoon.