White-winged Scoter

[Mike Veltri]

White-winged Scoter
(Melanitta fusca)
Drake

Canon 1Dx - 500mm F/4 IS 1
1/1250s @ 5.6 ISO 400
HH Prone

Thanks for looking,
Mike Veltri

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Mike, incredible IQ, and together with the light, you have produced a gem of an image. The eye is quite fascinating, and I really like the hint of droplets on the body. The blues of the water, and the browns of the Scoter complement each other, and great show of DOF on the water too. Congrats, I like this lots.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Wow, very beautiful, love the soft blues all around. tremendous low angle, and great job with the black plumage. The bit of pink leg showing adds alot to the image.

[Melissa Groo]

Mike, this is really a stunner. I might crop a bit off the bottom and add to the top, but it's sensational in every respect. I love the blues, the IQ, and such a great head angle.

[gail bisson]

How the h**ll did you get so close to these guys? They are usually hundreds of meters offshore in NS.
Stunning IQ and beautiful BG and FG. The blues give this such a dreamy feel.
The eye is perfect textbook as is your HA. really like the pink foot.
Gail

[Arthur Morris]

This is by far the best image of this species that exists in the world for all the reasons noted above. Plus, the absolute perfect head angle. I'd crop from the bottom from just above your signature for the most artistic image design. Thanks a stack for sharing this stunner.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Phenomenal image for all the reasons already mentioned. Wow, doesn't get any better.
If you twisted my arm, I'd say there's a halo around the head that I'd fix and would also crop from the bottom.

[Mike Milicia]

I love it when you click on a thumbnail that doesn't necessarily look like anything all that special and then your jaw drops when you see the full size image!
Excellent image for all the reasons pointed out above ... agree on the crop suggestions.

[Jack Breakfast]

Agree wholeheartedly with the crop-related suggestions. I've seen these birds fairly close in Burlington, ONT., of all places, and with extreme patience and a decent hiding spot, one can get some pretty good looks. I only have lousy backlit (although closeup) pictures, and I never imagined seeing one of these beautiful monsters in such forthcoming light. What a terrific look at this bird; thank you for sharing this.

[arash_hazeghi]

this is excellent! the shallow DOF and low angle really take it to the top. excellent techs

[Jon Swanson]

I absolutely LOVE this image Mike! Outstanding!!!!!

[Shawn Zierman]

Stunning. A 10 of 10 in every regard. Don't have anything to add to the fine accolades already given.