King Eider Calling

[Alan Murphy]

King Eider

Barrow, Alaska

D3, 600, ISO 640, f7, 1/2500.

I love how these beautiful Ducks would puff up their chest and gather air to make their the low, hollow moans.
It was such an honor to be in the freezing pond with them and watching this courtship display.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

What a wonderful shot, Alan. Low angle makes all the difference...great colors, exposure and tight comp. must have been a treat indeed.

[Brendan Dozier]

I don't like to use the "F" word, but this is FREAKIN OUTSTANDING!! Awesome close-up portrait, excellent IQ, light, low angle, fantastic colors, BG and water ripple really complete a great composition.
Beautiful work, Alan, and I'm sure enduring the freezing water only made the glory of this shot even sweeter!

[Phil Ertel]

Hi Alan,


What a lovely portrait. The detail and colors of the bird are stunning. The open beck adds interest. Very nice!!! Well done

[Shreeni Rao]

Love everything about this pic Alan

[Sachin Saraf]

Beautiful Capture Alan....Low angle makes it stand out...Fantastic colors..

[Bill Dix]

Absolutely stunning! If this were just a head shot it would be fantastic, but the fact that you were able to include the water puts it way over the top. Congratulations. I can only begin to imagine what a thrill and a privilege this must have been.

[noelle zaleski]

Beautiful image Alan! The details on his chest are spectacular :S3:

I never knew about the King Eider until a few months ago whn I met a pair here in NJ. It was quite a treat and now I wish to capture them again someday.

[yogesh_puranik]

this is realy a terrific photo superb pose and detais..

[Ishmeet Sahni]

Absolutely brilliant.... I agree with Bill, the inclusion of the water has added so much more to the whole image.

[Melissa Groo]

This is ridiculously great. Such character you capture in this eider. And what a beautiful portrait. The colors, the comp, the low angle, all just superb.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Pretty darned amazing, Alan. All's been said already. Love everything about this.

[Tommy Rodgers]

I bet you warmed up when you saw this image. This is such a beautiful bird, and you did a great job of capturing it's glory. Thanks for sharing.

[Grace Scalzo]

Congratulations on another fine image, Alan. I am so taken in by the beautiful colors in this image.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Oh man this is great and what a great looking bird...Nice one Alan!

[Arthur Morris]

All perfect. Head angle ideal. My favorite part of the image are the wet white neck feathers....

[arash_hazeghi]

all has been said. fantastic