Harlequin Duck

[Alex Becker]

Hi all,

A Harlequin duck taken at Barnegat, NJ on a really windy day hence the blown shoulder feathers. Pretty minor edits, slight crop, NR.

Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: 300mm f4 + 1.4 TC
Specs: 1/2000 ISO 2000 f/6.3

Thanks for looking and commenting on prior posts!
Alex

[Bill Dix]

Great looking over-the-shoulder look from this beautiful drake. Nicely exposed, which is sometimes difficult on these guys. Classic Barnegat background and mossy rocks. Nicely done.

[gail bisson]

This is an excellent image.
My only suggestion would be to clone the specular highlight out on the left.Exposure is excellent for the whites and the darks. Excellent detail in the feathers.
Great colors and head position,
Gail

[John Mack]

Nice frame of this duck. Like the rock perch the pose on the bird and the light.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Perfect exposure as presented, and nice colours. Good head turn, and a beautiful BG. A bit tight in the frame for me. Why would getting higher by about an inch or two have been advantageous?

[Alex Becker]

Thanks all -- appreciated -- I'll clone out that highlight, I meant to do it but then must've forgot. I agree Daniel that I should've gone a bit higher to have the foot be not blocked. Next time! I have a frame of a female that I'll post that has both feet clear. Best,

[Isaac Grant]

Hey Alex. These are fun birds and you did well getting him perched up so high and also isolated. Usually they just stick together like glue. Details are nice but the disk below the eye is off. It is almost impossible to get proper exposure on the whole bird and not blow out that area of the face. Looks like you toned down the highlights a little too much there and it has turned kind of off white. You also lost the details in that area.

[annmpacheco]

Hi Alex, quite an impressive image because you made it off that jetty alive, lol... The image is impressive, gorgeous capture and i like the dimension of the wind blown feathers... sure, more canvas if you have it please. Details throughout, exposure, and the "look"... sweet... I have a bit of PTSD with harlequins, almost was a goner on the rocks after slipping backwards, first concussion and had a headache for eleven days. Worse of it was i didnt even get anything from those harlequin "escapees." I will gladly admire yours, TFS.

[Debapratim Saha]

Wonderful portrait with great detail and exposure,great pose and eye contact too.

[Bill Dix]

Hi Alex, quite an impressive image because you made it off that jetty alive, lol... The image is impressive, gorgeous capture and i like the dimension of the wind blown feathers... sure, more canvas if you have it please. Details throughout, exposure, and the "look"... sweet... I have a bit of PTSD with harlequins, almost was a goner on the rocks after slipping backwards, first concussion and had a headache for eleven days. Worse of it was i didnt even get anything from those harlequin "escapees." I will gladly admire yours, TFS.

Ann, your scary experience should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone going after the Harlequins at Barnegat. Those rocks, often covered with wet seaweed, bird poop and/or ice, are TREACHEROUS. Glad you got out in one piece. Be careful out there.

[annmpacheco]

Ann, your scary experience should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone going after the Harlequins at Barnegat. Those rocks, often covered with wet seaweed, bird poop and/or ice, are TREACHEROUS. Glad you got out in one piece. Be careful out there.

Thank you Bill and excellence advice. I perhaps was misleading, my fall did not occur on the jetty but rather at the oceans edge in Jamestown RI. It is the similar situation and i had actually stopped and planned in my head where i was going to place my foot and the next thing i know i was down... Thankfully, I had returned to where i was bc i had forgotten a new hat on the rocks and i had already put my gear in my car.. However, I have been to Barnegat a handful of times and i heed your warning for all. Thanks

[Alex Becker]

Thanks again all, Isaac I think you may be right about pulling the highlights down too much, I'll give them another look. It's really hard to handle that bright patch. Ann, that sounds terrifying -- I got a couple concussions from wrestling in high school and college and they, and the corresponding headaches, are really just awful. I'm glad you made it out. The jetty really can be pretty scary and dangerous with all the hazards Bill mentioned and the large uneven gaps.