Gallery: AvianPosted May 20, 2012147 views11 comments
Male Wood Duck on Turtle Creek.
Sony a700
70-400 Sony g series Zoom @400mm & f5.6
1/200 sec ISO 500
LR3 and PS5
Comments
11 comments
Comment posted by Geoff Powell on May 21, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Nice proud pose on the duck and great eye contact, but I feel as though the whole image is leaning to the left from the diagonal surface lines.
Registered on March 20, 2012, 21 Posts, 170 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Turner on May 21, 2012 at 8:56 AM
A little better? Thanks for the comment Geoff
Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on May 21, 2012 at 9:57 AM
I really like your POV here Rick..And the look in its eye makes it personal with attitude..
Great color and I like slightly raised leg as well.
God Bless Texas!
Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on May 21, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Nice, Rick. I prefer the repost. If you're shooting in RAW, you might be able to bring out a bit more detail in the blacks in post processing.
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on May 21, 2012 at 10:56 AM
I like the comp of the re-post much better Rick. However, the overall image does seem a bit soft to my eye.
Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments
Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on May 21, 2012 at 5:44 PM
The light on this one is much better Rick unfortunately I too fell it is a little soft most likely motion blur from the slower ss
Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments
Comment posted by Ray Whitt on May 21, 2012 at 7:17 PM
Love the colors and the setting, nice work,
Ray
Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments
Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on May 22, 2012 at 1:29 PM
Wood Ducks are famously difficult to photograph; this is pretty good. If it were mine, I'd try to tease a bit more detail out of the blacks, and give it another round of sharpening, especially to the head. The composition seems just a bit tight at the top, but that's more a matter of taste.
Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments
Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on May 22, 2012 at 7:01 PM
Great luck to see this drake more out in the open and showing some attitude. Nice comp in a natural setting.
The color in the bird seems really "punchy" to me, though, Rick. There's a white line around the outer edge of the tip of the bill, and the eye is blurry. The texture of the water is uncomfortably in between being sharp or smooth. Sorry this is so critical, but all these things just jumped out at me. I think if I had a frame full of a Wood Duck drake like this, I'd be tempted to overlook some weaknesses, too... I'd maybe try some artistic effects to offset the difficulties...
Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Turner on May 23, 2012 at 7:33 AM
When this woodie started walking towards me I was blown away. Shooting at wide open 5.6 @ 400mm was desperate but I had to catch the moment and the angle of the duck made dof a problem. All in all I am lucky to have been so close .
Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Turner on May 23, 2012 at 11:32 AM
The inside of the Wood Duck (few of us have seen this) gives the white edge on the mouth from time to time. Here is a not so great documentary image of open mouth.
Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments
Comments
11 commentsGreat color and I like slightly raised leg as well.
God Bless Texas!
Ray
The color in the bird seems really "punchy" to me, though, Rick. There's a white line around the outer edge of the tip of the bill, and the eye is blurry. The texture of the water is uncomfortably in between being sharp or smooth. Sorry this is so critical, but all these things just jumped out at me. I think if I had a frame full of a Wood Duck drake like this, I'd be tempted to overlook some weaknesses, too... I'd maybe try some artistic effects to offset the difficulties...