Greater Scaup (male) "gone crabbing"

[gail bisson]

Canon 1DMKIV
F 600mm II and 1.4x III
ISO 800
SS 1/1000
f 7.1
Crappy light but this is Nova Scotia and if I waited for nice light I would hardly take any pictures!!. 80% FF
Usual PP. NR on BG, levels, DE at 2%, USM on JPEG
Comments and critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail

[Arthur Morris]

Excellente! The open bill, the splash, and especially those perfectly laid out crab legs are all killer. If you twisted my arm I'd say go for a bit more detail in the WHITEs and a bit of Eye Doctor work, especially on the pupil. All in all very good.

[gail bisson]

Hi Artie,
Thanks for the suggestions. Here is a repost. DE at 5% on the whites and darkened the pupil with levels,
Gail

[Jonathan Ashton]

Gail I try not to read previous comments but Arties did catch my eye with the repost being there. I think your repost is excellent, I too would have suggested the whites were a tint bit lacking in detail.
The DE worked well, I would have had to have resorted to going for a linear burn to get a little more detail, I have Topaz detail but I am not terribly proficient with it, despite using minimal settings it often seems OTT to me.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Gail. Outstanding action captured! Very nice sharpness and the tweaks in the repost have made this strong image even better!

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Artie,
Thanks for the suggestions. Here is a repost. DE at 5% on the whites and darkened the pupil with levels,
Gail

YAW. Looks better, especially the pupil. I still love those crab legs!

[jack williamson]

The crab really makes this image. The repost is better especially the head.

[dankearl]

Ducks eat crabs?
Nice image and the crab is certainly the highlight.
I don't pity you for the light, come to Oregon in the winter and you will know what bad light is all about!

[PhilCook]

I cant believe what I'm seeing....a Duck trying to eat a Crab....extraordinary

Repost is a little better but the original was pretty good as it was. I wonder also if the head could stand another round of sharpening

[David Salem]

Very cool shot Gail. These Scaup eat some of the darndest things. My friend just sent me a pic of one gagging down the biggest clam imaginable. They have a very strong gizzard and digestive fluids.
The repost looks better in the eye and a bit better in the whites. Details look great and the crab is the obvious star in this image and its angle is perfect. Nice work.

[Robert Holguin]

Wow!!!
Never thought a duck would eat crab. It's a first for me.
Great shooting angle, great details, love the crab, and nice comp.
Well done.

[Frank Schauf]

Great timing, great action, Gail.

[Karl Egressy]

So this is what they eat. Excellent action shot, Gail. Love the clean view of the food item.

[Bill Dix]

Wonderful shot, Gail. Terrific timing. Repost makes it even better. We've had an unusually high percentage of dark gloomy days here this winter, so I know what you mean; but I'm wondering if the lousy light actually worked to your advantage here.

[Satish Ranadive]

Gail:
I am also seeing for the first time,duck eating crab.Great action shot. Repost with beautiful golden eye looks superb.
Love the crab in beak,stare of duck,waves and flash of water and composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, a first for me too, and as Artie states, those legs protruding from the bill takes this up a notch. Considering the light, you have done well with bringing out the green sheen on the head. If anything, I would take a bit off the top.

[Arthur Morris]

So this is what they eat. Excellent action shot, Gail. Love the clean view of the food item.

Their diet is mostly shellfish that they crush.

[Melissa Groo]

The position of that crab is just too, too good. Great exposure and detail. I think the light served you well here. Your repost an improvement on an already super image.