Gadwall

[wendell westfall]

D90 70-200VR+2X@400 1/3200 f7.1 ISO800 -1/3EV handheld

This was taken a week ago at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. Common as I believe they are, it is my first Gadwall. I liked the reflection on the calm water that morning. Minimal PP -- Crop, NR, Sharpen. Critiques welcome and appreciated.

Wendell

[Daniel Cadieux]

Nice looking individual. Perfectly still water to give you a beautiful reflection. Open bill is a plus. I'd crop tighter, and the image needs a bit of CW rotation (see how the duck seems to be swimming uphill). Well done on the techs:)

[Dave Leroy]

Very serene looking.

I also like a bit tighter crop.

Well done.

[David Gancarz]

Very nice light -- it certainly pays to get up early! Agree with previous comments. Also some clone stamping might be in order to remove dark specs. I see two behind the duck, one just below, and one at the upper right.

[Grace Scalzo]

Wendell, I must say, this is my most favorite image from you that I've seen. I know that often people mention that a lower angle would be better when commenting on your images. This is a perfect example of when a low angle is not the best choice, and if I were you, I'd try more often for images like this with clean water and a beautiful reflection. Agree with all the above comments and would love to see a repost. Keep up the good work, this was a most enjoyable image to view. I do love gadwalls, common or not. Their feathers are so detailed and beautiful.

[wendell westfall]

Daniel, Dave, David, Grace --'preciate the helpful critiques. And, Grace, I hope this re-post is an improvement; I did try to crop, rotate and remove specks per suggestions . . .

[Grace Scalzo]

Good job, Wendell. For my taste, the bird doesn't have to be this big in the frame, plus I think it looses some quality when cropped this much. I still see three spots, too, but again, a really nice piece of work!