Merganser babies

[Cheryl Slechta]

I've had this image for months and tried Fractalius, Pixel Bender, etc and didn't like any of them. Tonight I used DAP Wet on Wet at a lower opacity and then Topaz Simplify Color Sketch blended with Soft Light at about 70%.

[Diane Miller]

Interesting treatment. What would you think about lightening and blurring the top part, above the heads, with a gradient?

Is this a babysitting co-op?? Once saw two ostriches with what must have been 15-20 chicks in Africa -- we figured it was a day care thing.

[Kerry Perkins]

Really cute Cheryl, what a gaggle (or whatever word is appropriate) of chicks! You have made a really nice watercolor effect from the different filters, hope you keep that formula in your head! The color palette is really perfect for the subjects, which are seriously cute...

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks, Diane. I'll try the gradient and blurring and see what it looks like. I went back to the original images and I think it was just 1 Merganser mom. She must be very prolific :)

Interesting treatment. What would you think about lightening and blurring the top part, above the heads, with a gradient?

Is this a babysitting co-op?? Once saw two ostriches with what must have been 15-20 chicks in Africa -- we figured it was a day care thing.

[Nancy Bell]

Really darling! You caught a good moment with at least the chicks in the front and foreground are all looking ahead! I like the watercolor effect in the bkgd. In a subtle way it mimics the round, bobbing heads of the chicks and adds to the motion of the little ones all moving like little bathtub duckies! The only distracting bit is a pink blob/line just above the farthest right chick with his back to us. It seems too different from the more rounded shapes. Nice reflections of the chicks in the foreground water.

[Mitch Carucci]

Your treatment really works for me, but what I am really amazed at is how many chicks you were able to get into one frame!

[Paul Lagasi]

Ducks are so cute, and there is a lot of cute in this photo. This is first time I've ever seen Hooded Merganser chicks...very nice

[Anita Bower]

These little ones are so cute! I'm smiling. :-) I'm not crazy about the area above these little ones--too blotchy. Can you smooth it out? Wonderful light and color on the babies, making them the center of attention.