Long-tailed Wingflap

[Bill Dix]

With the temperature above freezing for a change, I ran over to Barnegat for a few hours yesterday figuring the rocks would be dry and ice-free. I decided to forego the Harlequins and try for Long-tailed Ducks in flight. Windy and choppy with little flight action; and with my wife on grandchild-duty yesterday and no one there to spot for me, I seemed to be looking the wrong direction on the few occasions that one flew past me. Settled for a wingflap. C&C appreciated.

D7000, 700mm, ISO 1250, 1/2000s @ f/8 manual

[Dennis Zaebst]

Great pose Bill, and great light. I like the colors and the tonality. Well done!

[Nick Palmieri]

Hey Bill, Nice one. i like the wing flap. He looks well exposed. i was going to go down there today but it was too cloudy settled for a local nature center. may head to Barnegat next week.

[gail bisson]

Hi Bill,
Boy, is his chest puffed out!
You exposed this guy perfectly and kept the whites in check. Well done.
You also got a nice POV (lower than I usually see for Barnegat.
I might take a sliver off the bottom and add to the top.
I really like the curled feathers peeking around the sides,
Gail

[Dan Busby]

That's a real different look at a Long-tail Bill. I like the odd wing position, nice detail, excellent exposure and puffed up look. I would try Gail's suggestion for comp.

[Melissa Groo]

Really unique capture of a long-tailed. Really well done, Bill. The detail, the exposure, the sharpness. I think the comp suggestions as above are good ones.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks all. Barnegat is a difficult place to photograph, unless you're looking at Harlequins up on the rocks. It's virtually impossible to get a low POV for birds in the water. That's the reason I cropped this the way I did. Before posting this, I tried a version along the lines suggested by Gail; but with more water at the top and less below, it seems to my eye to exacerbate the POV issue. That is, I think the higher the bird is in the frame, the lower the apparent POV.

[Robert Holguin]

Terrific shot Bill.
Love the flapping pose, great shooting angle, exposed very well, and really like the water drops.
Very well done.

[Faraaz Abdool]

Beautiful moment, although it seems a bit side-lit. Love that puffed up chest and the water droplets as well. Excellent job controlling the whites.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Nice "angel" pose here, and you did well with a tough exposure. I do wish the subject was a bit lower in the frame, and I'd try to lighten the eye's iris.

[Bill Dix]

By popular demand, here's a repost with him lower in the frame. It does make the composition a little more grounded, but may make it look a little more like I'm looking down on him. What do you think? I've also lightened the iris just a bit more.

Yes, Faraaz, it is sidelit. I don't mind a little sidelighting, but I might have wished for his head to be turned the other way to catch the light better on his face.

[Melissa Groo]

I like it better, Bill. I don't think it further emphasizes the angle. Just a more pleasing comp.

[Karl Egressy]

This is great, Bill I even like it better than a BIF shot. Great sharpness, wing position and eye contact. I also like the water droplets on the body.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks everyone.