Harlequin Duck

[Grace Scalzo]

From Nome this past June. Seeing Gail's and Matthew's images made me think of that beautiful part of the counrty. (I was there the week before Gail, so a bit different experience than hers). Here's one that I loved photographing...you can see the setting sun in his eye.

1/800, f 5.6, iso1600
Canon 1Dx, 600 f4 + 1.4tc + lens on ground.

[Enrique Patino]

What a great image of a beautiful bird. Details look good. I would have been tempted now to go for a higher f-stop, but I don't think you need it here. I really like the blacks, grays and browns. TFS

[Grace Scalzo]

Enrique, you make an excellent point. I felt like I needed the shutter speed as I was handholding and not as strong as I would like to be. Always a trade off!

[Loi Nguyen]

Lovely image with great details and sharpness. The setting sun in the bird's eye is really cool. Love the low POV. In an ideal world I would wish the BG colors a little more lively, but not a deal breaker here. Loi

[Amol Khedgikar]

What a beautiful shot Grace!, Sharp, Crisp.

The techs are great, You did well considering ISO 1600, Love how you got lowest possible, I would have thought about F8 too but I think you got everything sharp in 5.6. The duck just pops out at you... Nice.

[Enrique Patino]

Enrique, you make an excellent point. I felt like I needed the shutter speed as I was handholding and not as strong as I would like to be. Always a trade off!

yes for sure and you don't really need it here...

[Jamie Douglas]

Love the low angle and pose Grace. I see a blue cast in this image that could be toned down by going into PS and lowering the blue saturation slider, I tried it and noticed a positive change at about -50. Takes the blue out of the breast feathers, whites and water.

Hope you don't mind me posting an example of what I am referring to.

[Marina Scarr]

I'll be curious to see Grace's take on your RP, Jamie. I just looked at a bunch of pictures of this duck, and their blue is pretty blue. My gut is telling me the OP is probably more accurate, and I am not seeing any blues in the whites of the OP. I also prefer the colors in the OP if they are in fact accurate.

Either way, lovely image. There is something quite serene about this image and that eye really shows up well. Your low perspective here really makes for quite a strong image.

[Jamie Douglas]

I'll be curious to see Grace's take on your RP, Jamie. I just looked at a bunch of pictures of this duck, and their blue is pretty blue. My gut is telling me the OP is probably more accurate, and I am not seeing any blues in the whites of the OP. I also prefer the colors in the OP if they are in fact accurate.

Either way, lovely image. There is something quite serene about this image and that eye really shows up well. Your low perspective here really makes for quite a strong image.

Hi Marina, you may be right on the blue tint to the plumage. This is what wiki has to say about the colours - 'Adult males are slate blue with chestnut sides and white markings including a white crescent at the base of the bill. Adult females are less colourful, with brownish-grey plumage and a white patch on the head around the eye. Both adults have a white ear-patch.'

I checked a bunch of images before adjusting the image and found from Google search results that the blue seems stronger in light conditions and less so in overcast conditions when it appears gray like in my repost.

Grace will know best. I am far from an expert on this species and my comments were purely a suggestion based on what I had seen on the web and not at the scene :)

Jamie

[christopher galeski]

very nice image Grace,the BG is superb,good low angle,nice pose and colors,agree with Marina,the image as a nice serene feel to it.TFS.

[keith mitchell]

Grace it looks superb to me as posted that Bg is really atmospheric .

Keith.:S3:

[David Salem]

Cant comment on the colors of this species but I can on the beauty of this subject and the skill of the photographer to put it together. Another nice one from Alaska Grace!

[Joe Senzatimore]

I like the OP best. I feel it is a true rendering of this species. BTW , it is an outstanding image.

[Grace Scalzo]

Thanks to everyone who has commented. Jamie, the colors of my post are accurate. I went back and looked at a bunch of my other harlequin images to be sure. I think that they are one of nature's prettiest ducks, but I find myself saying that about many.

[Satish Ranadive]

Gorgeous image of beautiful bird with lovely colors, Grace.
Love the pose with nice HA, beautiful eye and with great super fine details,nice blues in the water, great low angle and of superb composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Grace, what a pretty picture!! Love everything about it...low angle, techs, colours. A+

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Grace, simply magical. An opportunity definitely well used. :w3

[Richard Unsworth]

I am not na duck expert, but I know what I like. Very nice image POV and that image in the eye make it one to keep coming back to.

[gail bisson]

This is terrific Grace. Love the low angle and detail.
We didn't get close to these guys during our week.
Gail

[arash_hazeghi]

excellent pose and low angle, I like the colors in the original

well done

[dankearl]

One of the best Duck photos I have ever seen…..
I love the colors, the BG was made for the bird.

[Richard Flack]

Absolutely stunning image Grace! This is the first time I have seen this duck. Beautiful colours and BG! TFS

[Shawn Zierman]

Holy sweet painterly background! Awesome image in all regards. Alert posture on the duck too, and pushing towards you even!...awesome. Was audio used?

[Grace Scalzo]

Hi Shawn, Sometimes in Nome, our guide, Matthew Studebaker, did use audio, but I do not recall that he did in this case.

Thanks to everyone for your generous comments. This is one of my favorites from the trip.

[Bill Dix]

Lovely image of this stunning duck. Yes, one of the most handsome. I love the alert pose, and the low POV - something that one can't get at Barnegat. Nice to see one from AK.

[Grace Scalzo]

Thanks again, everyone. This was a great evening in AK, finding the harlequin pair in a small roadside run-off pond was a great surprise, and it was fun to make the most of it.