WI Whistling-duck

Gallery: AvianPosted December 30, 2010116 views8 comments

West Indian Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna arborea)

This image was captured on Cayman Brac, a sister island of Grand Cayman, on Dec. 16, 2010. The species is considered "vulnerable" because it has a very fragmented range and is limited to some of the islands in the Caribbean.

On Cayman Brac I saw at least ten of these ducks. A DOF effect is in evidence here with the furthest duck being less well focused than the closer ones. Despite this characteristic, and that the ISO setting is on the high side (not too serious for this camera), I find this image quite appealing. I adjusted exposure a bit to place the sharper ducks in more light than the softer. That's about as much as I could do about DOF in this case. There is too much of an effect for selective sharpening to give a good result. I'm interested to know whether some of you consider the shot spoiled because of the DOF effect here.

All comments welcome.

Happy New Year!!
Thank you all for your most helpful comments and for showing me so many examples of what excellence in bird photography looks like!!

1D Mark IV, 400 mm f/5.6, 1.4x TC, hand held: ISO 1600, 1/1000 s, f/9, 0 EV, 8.2 MP after cropping, usual NR, exposure adjustment, sharpening.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Rebecka on December 31, 2010 at 1:29 AM

Ahhhh congratulations! I've been traveling and looking to spot these guys for *years* in the Caribbean, without success. Kudos to you, Steve, and I love your shot - wonderful light, and it gives the feeling of an intimate portrait of a close-knit family. Bravo.

Registered on February 5, 2009, 170 Posts, 924 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on December 31, 2010 at 11:28 AM

Steve,
beautiful family image. I like the comp, the colors and the pattern plumage of these ducks.
The DOF works well for me.
Happy New Year!

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on January 1, 2011 at 3:02 PM

In light of your noted nits Steve this shot works real well for me. I like the close proximity of the ducks to one another and the color of the water, the DOF isn't an issue IMO.

Happy New Year.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Dottie Short on January 1, 2011 at 4:12 PM

Life is not always perfect, and not all images are perfect either. Someone will always find a nit in any image. I think the close family setting trumps and DOF issue, and I'm pleased that you posted it. I like it very much.

Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 1, 2011 at 5:07 PM

The DOF is only an issue if you make it so Steve. Even with a smaller aperture it would've been tough to get em' all in. I think as long as the nearest bird is in sharp focus it works. Like this close grouping and the waters colors here

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 1, 2011 at 5:50 PM

In this type of shot I usually don't even try to get all the birds sharp if having to use a supertele, just no way to get enough DOF and if you close down the ap too much you start getting defraction issues that keep you from getting anything sharp. Get the lead bird sharp here and be happy is my motto. I like this and these are cool birds. This species of Whistling duck is getting pretty depleted population wise. l would love to have this shot.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on January 1, 2011 at 7:05 PM

it's a nice group, Steve, and the DOF is enough for me. I might back off a little on the selective darkening--I think it looks a little unnatural.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on January 2, 2011 at 12:27 PM

Thank you everyone: very enjoyable and very helpful comments. I expected these birds to be rare and difficult to locate. However, upon landing at Cayman Brac, my two guides immediately showed me a group of them at a pond only about five minutes drive from the airport! The birds were a little shy but the lens and camera that I was using fit the distance very well....for the first fifteen minutes or so. Then they swam further away. We returned to the pond once more before I departed that day and the birds had returned. So, I have plenty of shots of them....but I like this one the best.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments