Long-tailed Duck

[Isaac Grant]

This is a shot that I have been after for a very long time. There are a few somewhat local places (like Barnegat) where you can get very close to Long-tailed Ducks. However you are always shooting them from above and do not have a nice low angle on them. Yesterday I went to chase a Pacific Loon that has been hanging out in New Jersey. Light was perfect late evening light with clear and cloudless skies. The spot has a large sea wall in an inlet and you were about 5 feet above the water. So I was about to leave because there was no way to get a nice low angle. Then I saw that after the wall ended that there was a jetty. I climbed down to the bottom of the jetty (which was crazy slippery while holding the 600!) and positioned myself on 2 rocks. Got on my knees on one rock and elbows on the other and waited for this Long tail to drift in. Luck was on my side as the bird was quite tame and came close. Took about 20 minutes of elbows digging into the jetty and the water rising and getting me soaked to get the shot I wanted.

Nikon D850 and Nikon 600 f4E + 1.4x iii (850mm) ISO 1000, SS 1/3200, F9

[Arthur Morris]

Yes, you were lucky that you worked so hard and could have drowned. Totally loverly, esp. the BLUE tones.

a

[Mike Poole]

Doubt it will be a surprise to hear me say I love a low angle duck photo! Beautiful details and well worth getting wet for - you'll not get any sympathy from me on that score! A bit of a shame the tail isn't a little more visible but thats a long way from being a deal breaker, its just that the tails on these really stand out for me.

Lovely work

Mike

[gail bisson]

I love everything about this image- especially that perfect HA. Just wish he had his tail up.
Whites look great,
Gail

[annmpacheco]

wonderful image, love the POV and hurray for your patience. Sure would like the tail, so something else to go after! Wonderful details in the whites and throughout, blues are heavenly...

[dankearl]

Nice low POV and beautiful water... tough to crop long ducks like this, I think even
a bit more of a pano some some off top and bottom would focus even more on this great looking duck.

[John Mack]

Detail on the duck looks very nice. The low angle is great. Also love that blue water.

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

Beautiful colors. Specially the Blue waters.

I would sharpen the eye slightly..

kudos to you for the effort and Congratulations for getting the shot.

TFS

[arash_hazeghi]

looks pretty good on my 4K NEC, whatever PP you're using is working out well here.... good details in both whites and blacks with sharp details.

TFS

[Isaac Grant]

Thanks everyone. These birds are so common in my area that I can not go to the ocean or bay and not see them. We had a raft of over 1,000 the other day on Staten Island. Getting an eye level shot in calm water you would think would be easy. These are birds that I have seen tens of thousands of and they never hold their tail up around New York City. I wish they would. They keep their tail down in the water. This is actually the only frame I have where the tail tip is visible and sticking up out of the water and only about 1/3rd way to end of tail is obscured by a wave. I don't think I have ever seen a shot of these birds cocking their tales from around me. Sure I see tons from Alaska of birds in breeding plumage but not around here. Really wish I knew why!

Arash this was processed using LR and PS. And since there has been so much back and forth lately re Sony and other brands, I can say (Arash you know this) that you really need to see these d850 files as full resolution versions to appreciate the image quality and details in them. The more I view them, the more I am pleased with my decision to switch to Nikon.

[Dorian Anderson]

This looks great! Low angle and exposure are spot on. Sounds like it was a bit of an adventure, but the result was well worth it. I'll confess to enjoying set-up work every now and then, but there's really no substitute for going into the habitat and
earning the shot.

Also, you asked about the kayak the other day. Sea Eagle FT 385. Super steady and a fun way to shoot!