Most of the contrast was there, the rocks are very dark, but I did boost the saturation on the cat just a very little bit and added a little bit of contrast overall to the image. But mostly this is how it came out of the camera. It helped that it was an overcast evening - that's a very good light to shoot this kind of scene it, it somehow makes the colors richer. You have to avoid gray skies, but if this image presents itself the lack of sunshine is often bonus.

Great pond! What an opportunity, basically starting from scratch! I found the link below to the Georgia Native Plant Society's (GNPS) list. There are a lot of plants on there that prefer a moist habitat, and there's also a gallery link to see what many of the plants on the list look like. :) (The link below is currently showing spring-bloomers/growers. To see others, click on the links at the top of that page.) Brenda Here is a link that might be useful: Spring bloom chart from the GNPS

Maui sunset. Ron

All the obsession with Canada Geese seems weird...seems like that should be the least of your problems. Yes, if you have a pond you WILL have geese, but that doesn't seem like a big issue. Even small dogs have a decent chance of scaring off Canada Geese. One warning: Ducks have been known to lure dogs far out into the water in the hopes of tiring them out and drowning them. Pros: 1.) Gorgeous Views 2.) Great for birdwatching 3.) Water source in case of Zombie Apocalypse. 4.) Source of "Grey Water" to water your lawn 5.) Fireflies 6.) Natural swimming pool Cons: 1.) Wetland Protection laws may make parts of your land protected wetlands you can't do anything with 2.) Drowning Risk for kids 3.) Mosquitoes 4.) Means high water table...Flooding risks? (The pond could cause flooding it it is near the house and overflows. A bigger concerns is the springs suggest a high water table that could cause flooding. ) Things to Ask: 1.) How much land is a protected wetland? 2.) Does the basement flood? (Look for signs of flooding) 3.) What were the results of a perk test where the house was built? The septic tank? (Maybe do a perk test?) 4.) Any possibility of putting in a well to water the plants during a drought? 5.) Does the pond overflow in the rain? How far? 6.) Any signs of erosion? 7.0 Does the appraisal value reflect unusable wetlands? This post was edited by edlincoln on Tue, Sep 2, 14 at 16:25