Coot with suggestions

[dankearl]

Turned down the blue channel 36 per Daniel Cadieux's recommendation, a bit better HA, although turned a tad away from optimal I think.
I got a lot of photos of prettier ducks the other evening, Widgeons, Wood Ducks, etc., but I sort of like the lowly Coot in these reflections
and they are a good challenge to expose correctly.
The color looks better for the Coot, I think.
Someone asked how I got so close?
The duck pond should be famous, The Rhododendron Garden in Portland, Oregon.
A private garden open to the public (thus all the color reflections in the water). It has a 20 acre pond with inlets and has a resident
year round population of Mallards and Wood Ducks that are really friendly. In the Winter, all the wild migrating ducks fly in and become as friendly
as the Mallards. Buffleheads and Mergansers will get within 15-20 feet of shore and people.
That is the story, if any of you are ever in Portland and want to photo Ducks of all kinds in the winter, let me know.

1/320, f5.6, 500mm, iso1600, D800, HH

DSC_2817bp.jpg (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=120256&stc=1&d=1351657411)


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[Vivaldo Damilano]

I like the colors on this one Dan, also golden water make this image special. It always great to get in so close, cool shot.

[John Cooper]

Agree that the coot's color is now more neutral as would be expected, but i prefer the water and pose of the coot in the original post!

[David Salem]

Nice colors. You have done well in exposing the coot and the detail in the blacks shows that. Water in bill and red eye add to the scene. Nice work

[Karl Egressy]

Nice pose, excellent feather details, perfect exposure and beautiful water, Dan.

[Jack Breakfast]

In my opinion, a "good" head angle could never substitute for magical water. I much prefer your last post of the same beast. As for this picture, it's quite nice, absolutely, but lacks the va-va-voom you had last time around. Pardon my unscientific commentary. Can't thank you enough for your stories of the Portland pond. It sounds marvelous, and I hope to visit Oregon someday. Last: I like your sense of humor. We both know the coot is FAR from lowly. If loving a beast with feet like those is wrong, I refuse to be right!

[Daniel Cadieux]

I'm with Jack here in that I preferred your previous post, including the HA (which here is actually looking away from the viewer). I do prefer the plumage without a colour cast here though, if you can apply that to your previous image that would be super.