red breasted merganser female

[Ron Conlon]

The extensive ice cover on the great lakes resulted in diving bird concentrations on the few patches of open water, like this one made by a coal-fired power plant slated for closure this year. By now the mergansers at this spot are habituated to the fishermen and birders. One female surfaced no more than six feet from me, to our mutual surprise.

f/8 ISO 1600 1/1250s 560mm T2i

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

I love the clear water droplets and I must say the high ISO's were handled well i.t.o the lack of noise (unless you've removed some of it in PP).

I'm not too fond of the crop and personally I would have liked to keeep the full bird in the picture, as well as its full reflection. I guess the 6' distance at 560mm did not give you much choice?

I'd lift the shadows a little bit to try and get more life into those nice eyes (or perhaps play with brightness?).

[Diane Miller]

I agree with Toby, and also assume this is probably full frame. Gorgeous pose, detail and sharpness, and doubly impressive for that ISO.

Sometimes in a situation like this you can pull off a very fast pano, getting this shot then swinging left to include the tail. If you're using back button focus you can hold the same focus by letting go of the button before you recompose. If you're in Av or Tv, exposure may change, but PS is surprisingly good at matching the two.

You were probably too close here, but I would try to aim down to include the full reflection if possible, knowing that I could add canvas and fill in the very plain BG later.

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks. I will try the quick pano trick. I am all manual including focus so it should work.

I had bumped exposure and adjusted NR in ACR then dodged the face in PS. I get skittish about adjustments at a point but I suppose further lightening is needed thanks.

This is full frame with a sliver of canvas added to RHS. Will try for reflections and pano.

Many thanks.

[Jim Buescher]

Nice close-up profile shot! ! It's been a good year for duck photographers in the area, not so good for the ducks. I counted thirteen dead mergansers at the E. 72nd power plant when I was there this year. Don't you hate it when these ducks come too close.

[Ron Conlon]

If only they would squish themselves into frame! This is from that spot, with dead mergansers at my feet--celebrate the living.

[Iain Barker]

Hi Ron

Nice image with plenty of detail and nice and sharp. If this were mine I would crop it more to make it look like a deliberate crop rather then accidentally cutting off the tail.
The picture I posted the other day in avian of a Goosander was clipped very similar to this before I cropped it more.

TFS
Iain

[Sandy Witvoet]

Detail is beautiful.... as Iain mentioned, would go for a bit more deliberate (portrait-like) crop.
I went over to one of our few areas that has open water the other day... way too many dead waterfowl around.

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks Sandy and Iain, I didn't think of a portrait crop.
The last few days of cold have again restricted the amount of open water both on Erie and the smaller ponds and lakes. Now the early migrants (wood ducks, tree swallows, herons) get to share the misery of the winter residents. We have a pair of turkeys around my place of work in the city, where the large buildings have warmed the earth enough for them to forage in the beds. I try to limit my disturbance of the birds in these difficult times.