Swimming

[Cynthia Thayer]

Shot info. F6.7, 1/125, 500mm lens, ISO 200, External Flash Nikon SB-900, Multi-segment metering.

Hi, this is my first time posting for a critique. I'd love to get some critical critique on this shot. Thanks much in advance.
Cynthia

[dankearl]

Cynthia, you got a nice close shot of a duck that is hard to get close to!
1/125 is a bit slow, even for ducks, I would up the iso to 400 and double the speed at least.
You should be able to sync a flash to 1/250 or even 1/320.
The angle is high, ducks look better and better the lower you can get.
I think most people here who post great ducks are either in the water or
lying on the ground at waters edge.
Try to have the ducks angling towards you.
Hope this helps, welcome to BPN, a very nice place to learn.

[Cynthia Thayer]

Thanks Dan. That's all really good info. Thanks. I appreciate your input.

[gail bisson]

Welcome (back) to BPN. Dan has given you a great critique. The main issue is the angle of declination that is way too steep. time to get dirty and wet!!
gail

[Cynthia Thayer]

gotcha Gail, thanks for the input :)

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Cynthia, Denise Ippolito says Hi and welcome and ditto on the welcome. Dan and Gail have offered lots of excellent suggestions. The important one that I think that they missed is the fact that the teal is angling away from you. Toward you is usually much better. Several problems resulted from this less than ideal subject to film plane orientation: the head is angled away and sharpest focus is on the side of the duck--this has left the head soft due to lack of d-o-f.

Thanks a stack for your membership support. I look forward to seeing some of your Fracts in OOTB!

[Cynthia Thayer]

Art, thank you so much for your comments. Please tell Denise I said "Hello". I look forward to participating in this forum, and I am thrilled to receive such wonderful advise and input from you and the members of this forum. I know I will learn lots. Thanks again. P.S. Denise has taught me so much about creative processing within Photoshop. She is awesome. You must convince her to do some workshops out in No. California sometime :)

[Cynthia Thayer]

Thank you everyone for the comments.