Northern Pintail

Gallery: AvianPosted March 18, 2012134 views8 comments

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Place: Gilbert Water Ranch, AZ
Date: February 10, 2012 8:51 am
Equipment: Nikon D300, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8, TC20E III (2x), G1325, RRS BH-55, Sidekick
Exposure: ISO 400, aperture priority spot meter, 1/1250th @ f/8
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, 83% of frame

I liked the graphics created by the wings and feathers of this preening drake. The light direction didn’t allow for any texture in the white plumage.

As always: honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on March 18, 2012 at 8:48 AM

Love these birds Rich. I like the preening pose, the look at all the feather groups, and the rippled reflection. Maybe just a bit more eye would have made this stronger, but with all the cool lines in the image it is not a big deal at all to me.

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on March 18, 2012 at 8:52 AM

neat shot, Rich. I like the lines of the bird and the way the centered comp works with the ripples. nice that you caught some of the eye too.

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

Comment posted by Matt Shellenberg on March 18, 2012 at 9:26 AM

Those layers of feathers really draw me in to look closer, Rich. Very cool. I agree the four different angled planes are really graphically appealing. Great image.

Registered on February 6, 2008, 168 Posts, 3118 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on March 18, 2012 at 9:38 PM

Love the angled lines and concentric circles here - nice detail, colours, and pose.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on March 18, 2012 at 11:41 PM

I like the wing and tail pointing up along with the combination of round water ripples, just a little more eye showing would of been nice, good to see a different composition and nice timing to get this.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Harris on March 19, 2012 at 4:17 PM

Richard, I really like this image of the Pintail. Your exposure sure captures the beauty of all the colors of this duck. Great job.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 169 Posts, 741 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on March 21, 2012 at 6:07 AM

Fantastic detail Rich - like the complementary lines created by the wing feathers and tail

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on March 21, 2012 at 8:45 PM

I really like the layers of different plumage opening up here.Great design and just enough eye to work for me.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments