Pre Dawn Red Head - Flash is my friend

[Randy Stout]

This nice redhead drake was imaged before the sun cleared the horizon last weekend. I was using the SB800 with the beamer for most of the light. Water was pretty still.

D700 600VR 1.4 TC f/6.3 1/320s ISO 1000 Gitzo/Wimberley SB800 with Beamer

Post: Selective sharpening slight rotation, added a sliver of canvas to right, cleaned up the red eye, cleaned up a ripple in the head reflection. No noise reduction.

The pupil was quite large because of the low light. I didn't enlarge it at all in post, just took care of the red eye and the bottom catch light. I wonder if it looks too big, even though it was natural?

As always, advice and comments appreciated.

Cheers

Randy

[Jack Breakfast]

"Waterduck amidst pure background with perfect reflection" is a style of waterfowl photography and this photo is a perfect example. I think you did a terrific job...this is a most appealing look at one of our lovelier ducks. I'm particularly impressed about the flash situation and red-eye clean-up...

[Karl Egressy]

Great flash work, love the details, placid water and reflection, Randy.

[Ed Cordes]

Calm water and super reflection. The pupil size is great to my taste. Wonderful image.

[KevinStohlgren]

A beautiful bird. I think the eye looks great except the dead center catchlight. It might look better slightly off center (maybe up and to the right a little?).

[Dave Leroy]

Lovely still water. Great looking pose and reflection. Pupil looks fine to me. Photo really shows off the cool light very well.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Randy, your flashwork is so subtle, but it has brought out this handsome fellow very well. Evenly distributed throughout the image, and it also shows up the reflection nicely. The sharpness on the finer plumage is spot on, as is the colour on his head. Just love the pastel blue of the water too. Great work.

[gail bisson]

Great low angle and excellent fill flash. I like the stillness of the water and the water droplets. Nice reflection as well. No nits from me,
Gail

[jack williamson]

Excellent flash use, water does not get much calmer than this, great reflection.

Jack

[dankearl]

The calm water is nice, a very peaceful image.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Randy, beautiful portrait. Perfect choice of shooting angle to get the clean reflection. Flash work looks very good. If mine, I'd try to make the head a bit warmer and the blacks a bit deeper. loved the calm water..something I rarely get here in windy N Texas.

[Randy Stout]

Thanks everyone for the advice and comments.

Kevin, I appreciate your take on the catch light, and it would be any easy change.

KD - funny about the blacks. Such a balance between too dark with no detail, or too light but with more detail. In looking at it again, I do see your point. The bill tip looks very black to me, while the breast and tail are lighter. I will try a little tweak of that.

Thanks again.

Cheers

Randy

[Randy Stout]

Kaustubh:

Dashed off a version with +6 moving black point slider to right in curves, and +10 on saturation slider in CS5. Fairly subtle, but an interesting variant. Somehow it doesn't look quite as soft as the original.

Cheers

Randy

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

liked this one more, Randy.

[Frank Schauf]

What a reflection, and nice colours in the water.

[Robert Holguin]

WoW!!! Beautiful image. Love the calm feel of this image. Great shooting angle, superb flash work, great detail, and I personally like the repost.
Very well done.

[Robert Rommel]

Great, still image here! I love the repost. Although it's perhaps not as soft as the original, it feels richer.