My first Ring-necked Duck

[Bill Dix]

I've been looking for several years for a spot where these guys are within range, but they have always eluded me. After spending most of yesterday birding the storm-ravaged Jersey Shore, my wife and I stopped by a reservoir on the way home -- a place I've never visited before. Lo and behold, a very nice raft of Ring-Necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup and some other waterfowl were within reach, and with the light at my back. The frame after this one had a slightly fuller wing extension, but for some reason I liked this one better.

D7000, 700mm, ISO 800, 1/1600s @ f/7.1 manual.

[Randy Stout]

Congrats Bill:

Having just gotten my first decent images of a pintail, I really appreciate your feelings about getting a ring necked.

Good shooting angle, slight angle of bird towards us, chin up, well exposed.

Cheers

Randy

[Mike Milicia]

I'd say if was certainly worth the wait to get this one ... a real stunner IMO!
Fantastic pose, excellent exposure and detail, and nice clean water ... can't ask for much more.

I can only think of 2 things that would improve it for me.
I would like a bit more room at the bottom and maybe a tad less on top.
Color also seems a bit funky to me. Might be my monitor but here's a repost which I think is an improvement. Would be interested to know how it looks from your end.

Congrats on a wonderful image!

[dankearl]

Always nice to get a new one for the portfolio, Bill.
No knowing this duck, I can't comment on the color.
I might remove a few highlight specks on the head.
I never know many to get rid off, any diving duck has them in sunlight, but I would eliminate the few on the head
in this one for perfection.
Nice angle and smooth water.

[stuart wanuck]

Well done

[Arthur Morris]

I much prefer the original on all counts. Wonderful wings-back flapping pose, sharp,EXP and HA are perfect, and the colors look just right. The duck's head seems a tad over-sharpened to me.

[Greg Oakley]

Superb image Bill - great pose, sharpness and sweet light. I too prefer the original - I don't know the species, but the re-post looks like it may be a bit magenta,
Cheers, Greg

[Bill Dix]

Thanks all. Mike, I'm not sure about the color. I could probably go either way. But I do agree about adding a slivver to the bottom. Artie, you're probably right about the head. I applied just a tiny bit of Topaz Detail, which helped to bring out detail in the breast, but probably wasn't needed in the head.

[Satish Ranadive]

Bill Sir:
Wonderful image with lovely details in whites and blacks.
Love the pose,colors, golden eye and beautiful blues.

Regards,
Satish.

[Alan Murphy]

This is killer to me. Love the low angle, the water and wing position.

[Rachel Hollander]

Congrats Bill, your persistence paid off. Great pose, wing position, low pov and detail.

TFS,
Rachel

[Bill Dix]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I've made just a few minor tweaks here: moved the duck just a tiny bit higher in the frame, and removed a few of the more distracting water drops. And backed off just slightly on the sharpening of areas on the head. I always appreciate the helpful suggestions.

[Bill Jobes]

That's a real beauty, Bill -- and your experience with the 'unknown' reservoir proves again one doesn't have to follow the hordes to get fabulous photos !

I agree with Mike's crop suggestion, but prefer your color, as Mike's, at least on my calibrated monitor, renders the blacks a tad dark purple.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Bill, congrats on getting your first of this species, and love the low angle you have captured it from. Cant comment on the colour either, but do like the proud wingflap pose, and against that pastel blue BG. Hope you get to see more.

[Mike Milicia]

I agree with Mike's crop suggestion, but prefer your color, as Mike's, at least on my calibrated monitor, renders the blacks a tad dark purple.

My take on the color may well be off and, in retrospect, I think I did add a bit too much red. However, an appearance of some purple on the head is not unusual with these birds if they are well lit as Bill managed to accomplish here. The "ring" on their neck which gives them their name is actually made up of an area of purplish sheen and can be very hard to see and capture unless the light hits them just right. Here is one of the field marks for the male ring-necked duck listed on the Cornell "All About Birds" web site : "Peaked, glossy-black head with purplish sheen".

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Bill, what a shot. something like this has been on my to-do list for 3 years now :-) It is hard to get everything right in such a shot...the body angle, head angle, light, BG. You really nailed it. I love sharp wing tips. You latest repost took care of a couple of things. Well done.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Bill, Stuart and KD. KD, I was thinking of your beautiful ultra-low-angle waterfowl images when I got down in the mud for this one, but I would have had to get a few inches lower to match yours.