Harlequin Ducks
Harlequin Ducks are just one of the many sea ducks we get to enjoy along the coast of Maine in the winter. They are difficult to get close to: this is about a 50% crop.
Canon 7D ES 400mm f/5.6 lens
1/640 f/8 ISO 400 0EV Handheld.
Comments always appreciated.
Ken
Last edited by Peter Kes; 12-06-2012 at 04:26 PM.
I would love to see one of these ducks. They look so beautiful! With a heavy crop, it's hard to maintain the finer details of the feathers which seem lacking, but then I've never seen one, so maybe that's the way they are. I think I would prefer a crop taking more of the background weeds out. Regardless, I still like the photo and wouldn't mind seeing one of these someday!
Hi Ken, I think any of us would be excited to see a Harlequin! I'm glad you got a chance to capture this duck. Your challenge here is dynamic range as this bird has both black and white features. In this situation it is almost imperative that you wait for (or wake up for) softer light.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
Please visit me on the web at http://kerryperkinsphotography.com
Harlequins again
Thanks Kerry
I see exactly what you mean about tonal range. This is taken a day later earlier in the AM. 1/320 @ f8 ISO 200. Highlights toned down in LR 4 and cropped about 50%. I wanted to show the surf hitting rocks in the background so the crop is not too tight. The whites are now in the range of 236-249 and there is more detail in the dark areas. Thanks for your critique. It is always a big help.
Ken
I love these guys. I saw some when I was up on the northern WA coast a few years back but, as you said, couldn't get close enough for decent images.
As Kerry pointed out, the problem here was the range from pure white to pure black. I also don't think the green BG adds anything to the image and would be tempted to crop a bit closer.
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