Junior learned to talk.....and never stopped !

[PhilCook]

Pacific Black Duck and duckling, this one with a lot to say ....kinda cute


Canon 7D + 500 f4........f5.6, ISO 250, 1/800, -0.3 EV......strong sunlight, hand held, cropped for a stronger composition to focus on the duckling, selective sharpen and noise reduction /smoothing to backdrop

[Satish Ranadive]

Phil:
Beautiful image of cute little one with mom and with apt title.I like the nice lights,colors,great details on duckling and open beak.
Very nice IQ and composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[dankearl]

The little guy looks great, the large OOF adult is too dominate for me.

[gail bisson]

Hi Phil,
I have to agree with Dan on this one.
The adult just overwhelms that little guy.
Nice low POV and great detail on the duckling,
Gail

[Randy Stout]

Phil:

I like the concept of this image, chick and parent, but I have to agree with Dan and Gail, the adult is to dominate of a component. The duckling itself is cute with great personality.

Cheers

Randy

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Phil - great looking chick but unfortunately I find myself agreeing with the others that the adult is too dominant. I also would like a little more room behind the chick.

TFS,
Rachel

[PhilCook]

Taa for looking, I guess tastes will always differ, but I rather felt the bigger Mum bird was extra good as it is.....ih......no problems

[arash_hazeghi]

The chick is nice but the OOF mom weakens this one too much for me.

[Faraaz Abdool]

Lovely light and composition - although I have to agree with the others about the mommy bird. She's just too large and dominant in the frame. Maybe if she was coming up behind the little one with only her head in the frame it would've hit the proverbial 'spot'. Still a cute shot!

[Bill Dix]

It's funny how personal preferences go. I made a similar critique the other day about a dominant OOF bird. But here, I'm odd man out (and admittedly inconsistent). I like it. The foreground chick, with such a great pose, dominates the frame for me even though its much smaller, with the OOF mom as backdrop. De gustibus non est disputandum.

[Rachel Hollander]

That's alright Bill, I forgive you and I'm guilty of the same switch as you, just the opposite opinions!

[Robert Holguin]

Wonderful shot.
Great shooting angle, love the open bill on the duckling, and excellent feather detail.
The more I look at it the more I feel ok with having the parent in the background.
I think the chick has good enough sharpness to seperate it from the parent.
Well done.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I'm wondering if you had more room top and left if that would minimize the adult bird as she just looks so tight in the frame. The little one looks very cute and happy. Did you need to burn an area on the head? There looks to be a grayed out area due to the burn tool...apologies if that is not it.

[PhilCook]

I'm wondering if you had more room top and left if that would minimize the adult bird as she just looks so tight in the frame. The little one looks very cute and happy. Did you need to burn an area on the head? There looks to be a grayed out area due to the burn tool...apologies if that is not it.

No the burn tool was not used, just discolorations in the dirty water and strong application of noise reduction