Redhead - Trust But Verify

[Bill Dix]

Redhead Drake napping, while keeping an eye out, on a public pond in Tucson on a drizzly day in 2015.

D7000, 500f4, ISO 1000, 1/320s @ f/7.1 manual.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I love this type of "sleeping" duck pose. The eye looks great! Almost everything looks good....I say everything, as the image needs a bit of CW rotation.

[Brian Sump]

Bill, along with John Mack I love waterfowl and love Redheads as such.

Look at that water, wow; really such a cyan/turquoise color? As pretty as it is I wonder if reducing brightness on the water could help the subject pop a bit?

Love the pose and have a few yet to process of preening poses where the eyes are just visible. Really nice and wonder if a touch more sharpening would help? Is this an older processed shot also?

[William Dickson]

Nice one Bill....I really like the colours and detail on the bird...Moving the bird a wee bit more to our right in the frame I think would look good.

Will

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Bill, the subject is nicely placed in frame and the pano crop works. Agree with Dan on a slight rotation, but adding a curves midtone and bringing some more tonal depth in the FG just elevates it for me. Perhaps even having a clean backdrop above the head may add more focus to the subject?

TFS
Steve

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. As to the rotation, note that the largest water drops on the bird are in perfect vertical alignment with their reflections. Yes, Brian, the water really was that color. This is a manmade urban pond, with a partially sandy bottom. I didn't care to much for it, but this shows it as it was. (I went here on a trip from another birder who said this was the spot for Redheads.) I agree that some reduced brightness or tonal depth might help the water. Steve, I felt the ripples in the upper BG gave it some depth; but I get your point.

[Steve Kaluski]

Steve, I felt the ripples in the upper BG gave it some depth; but I get your point.

No problem Bill, just sharing some thoughts.