young King Eider: once more with feeling!

[Jack Breakfast]

Greetings, fine people, I am posting my third and final shot of this 1st winter king eider...this is a more typical shot, I feel, but the light does show off this duck's fine browns and tans and whites! Really a handsome bird in his own right...and just think of what he'll become soon...
Shot the other day with the Canon 7D, 70-300L at 244mm. iso400, 1/2000, f6.3...I gave the image a slight crop, levels tweak and unsharp mask. I will welcome your comments and suggestions. I forewarn the dreaded low-angle police that getting lower in this case would have killed me, and I'm not ready to go yet, not for a juvenile eider anyhow. Oh, and wait: I wish the far wing wasn't touching the duck's head! Blast! I never would have even noticed such things before I joined this forum! A curse and blessing both! Ave avis!
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[Sid Garige]

Great pose and excellent details. Nice blue sky would have taken this image to even higher levels. Excellent job with techs.

[dankearl]

It shows a lot of spirit, very nice detail and focus.

[Karl Egressy]

Great pose captured, Bill. Your best so far.

[Arthur Morris]

Wing positions are fine. Browns and tans and pose are awesome. What was the situation?

[arash_hazeghi]

I like the pose and wing positions, low angle police is here and you need to show proof.

[Jack Breakfast]

Alright, cutiepies, the situation was this: the juv. KE has been hanging around a marina in southern Ontario and behaving in a most sociable and forthcoming fashion! Hanging around with the mallards was he. Here he was doing his typical duck-in-the-water duckflap, and I caught him all right! I was sitting on a dock near the most appealing pocket of light on the water...I waited for a while, figuring that the duck would cruise by eventually...soon enough the cruising eider sailed in front of me...I'm not sure if that answers your question, Arthur & Arash? Hmmm. All duck and angle-related questions will be answered by y.t. in a timely fashion whenever possible...

[Jack Breakfast]

To continue, as a special message to Arthur "Keep it Low, Boys" Morris: this particular eider shot was taken at a slightly different locale than Karl's. The eider was hanging around in a few different spots at the marina, and I got as low as I could at this particular spot. I have low-angle shots of the eider from when he was at the other spots, but the light there was not as pleasing, nor was I able to get the eider doing his flappity-flap...I intend to go back again though so as to please the low-angle coppers everywhere...anyhow Mr. Morris, I learned to get low from you in the first place. No jokes; I wasn't being lazy this time around. But enough being defensive...I fear I'll only incriminate myself further...

[Grace Scalzo]

The light, the flap, the sharpness, all wonderful. There's a place that I go to photograph red head ducks and a low angle is not possible without risking arrest. You know, Jack, the low angle police busted me on that image too. :tinysmile_shy_t: Sometimes it just can't be helped.

[Arthur Morris]

To continue, as a special message to Arthur "Keep it Low, Boys" Morris: this particular eider shot was taken at a slightly different locale than Karl's. The eider was hanging around in a few different spots at the marina, and I got as low as I could at this particular spot. I have low-angle shots of the eider from when he was at the other spots, but the light there was not as pleasing, nor was I able to get the eider doing his flappity-flap...I intend to go back again though so as to please the low-angle coppers everywhere...anyhow Mr. Morris, I learned to get low from you in the first place. No jokes; I wasn't being lazy this time around. But enough being defensive...I fear I'll only incriminate myself further...

Thanks for the defense to the charges :S3:. Angle of declination notwithstanding this image of the bird is my favorite of all of those posted.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks kindly, Officer Morris...I am not yet tired of this joke...
Grace, thank you also...I have a mildly funny story to share: the other day I was watching a couple of long-tailed d's along with another photographer...quite suddenly he decided to lie down on his stomach on the ground, so as to get a low-angle shot of the birds...within seconds he screamed "OH NO!" and I said "What's wrong?" He said: "I got gooseshit all over my hand!" I said: "No kidding?" :bg3:

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jack, well timed to capture this pose, and the light has brought out the colours nicely. I also like the sharpness that you have achieved. Overall, well done.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Jack, excellent subject angle...which is of utmost importance in wing flaps. you froze them in just the right position.

[Jack Breakfast]

Many thanks, Stuart & Kaustubh...I must say I've got a jumpy trigger finger from so much time spent watching ducks...must thank the 7D for its fast fps rate...