Santee Lales - Wood Duck Portrait

[muralin]

Shot in Santee Lakes, the duck capital of Southern California.
D70 + 80-400VR @ 400mm 1/800sec f7.1 at ISO 640

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the head angle and BG and could also see it as vertical crop. I don't know how much of a crop this is and how you sharpened it but the texture of the plumage looks unusual on my monitor.

[Peter Farrell]

I agree with Axel, the whites almost look painted on.

[Lance Peters]

Agree with the above comments - over sharpened perhaps??