October project - backlit Mallard

[Gary Esman]

While shooting Wood ducks last weekend I was able to get this Mallard. Very common bird but really liked the back lighting and tones. Let me know what you think, I appreciate all comments and thanks for looking.

7D, 500mm + 1.4 TC, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/400.

Gary.

[Randy Stout]

Gary:

Really nice, excellent comp, angle of bird in frame.
I might consider cloning out the water drop just in front of the eye.

I couldn't resist a little tweak to try and make it look even more autumnal. Did a multiply selection to change the color and luminosity slightly. I might do some further work on the specular reflections behind the head if I were to go with the more orange hue in the repost.

Just an option, like it a lot as posted.

Cheers

Randy

[Arthur Morris]

I love the water and the flapping is nice too but I wish that the bird's right wing were extended more. Even in the repost the head is quite dark. In situations with not much light and yellow water you need to add a ton of light to expose the subject properly.

Lastly and strangely, I am not sure that this image is actually backlit....

[John Chardine]

Of course the lovely yellow makes it, in conjunction with the great wing-flap. I like the colours on the OP and the repost, but coming back to the repost, I like the extra saturation a little more. Nicely done.

[Dudley Watson]

Nice low angle and the colours make a lovely image Well done

[Don Thompson]

In situations with not much light and yellow water you need to add a ton of light to expose the subject properly.

Artie, For those of us who are way down on the learning curve, are you saying to add maybe +2 or +3 in backlight situations?

I like the low angle and the color of the water. Nice picture of a subject we often overlook.

[Arthur Morris]

There are many different backlit situations so I would not want to generalize there, and as I said above, I am not positive that this was a true backlit situation. I will say that with a relatively dark subject and light-toned yellow water you will be needing to add lots of light, certainly at least +2 stops with a 7D or a Mark IV. Best to study Exposure Simplified in ABP II. (https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32) :)

[Randy Stout]

Gary:

I thought about Artie's observation on the dark head. I had left it alone in the original because of trying to play up the backlit nature of the image. Well, perhaps it could be brought up some without losing the nice color. Quick tweak here. I think you could do it very easily on the raw file.
I also removed the large drop by the eye, since it was bright and not distinctly a drop.

Cheers

Randy

[Arthur Morris]

Well done Randy. All that is left now is to lose the few large specular highlights around the head.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Really great detail brought out by Randys post....Love the pose and the gold col