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I am really chuffed to bits to find out I am a finalist in this years Bird Photographer of the Year 2017 - in the Creative Imagery category. This is my image - it's based on a photograph I took of a female mallard stretching out her wing, taken on a pond in the sunset. It was about 7pm and water glistened a gentle gold all over the pond. The ducks were swimming about quietly before bedding down for the night. When I turned this image into a kaleidoscope, I loved the way the water ended up as an abstract pattern and reminded me a bit of a William Morris material design. I have to thank my friend Nigel West from my local camera club for inspiring me to make kaleidoscopes in the first place!