My First Northern Pintail Drake.

[Daniel Cadieux]

This fall has been good to me for waterfowl, including my first ever Harlequin Duck. Now here is a my first ever male Northern Pintail (I photographed a female a few years ago). These guys can be found numbering in the hundreds, and even thousands, in local flooded farmers fields during the spring thaw, but always hundreds of yards away.

I was rather happy when I stumbled upon this fella cruising the shoreline near the same spot the Harlequin Duck was found, and it too came close enough for eventual full-frame head-and-shoulder portraits. Here's a full-body image first...

Canon 7D + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/250s., f/5.6, ISO 800, small crop for comp, natural light, handheld, usual eye work, a grey steak behind the head eliminated.

[dankearl]

Congrats....
I think a touch more contrast and a tiny bit off the top would look good.

[gail bisson]

Congrats on this lovely image.
As always, good IQ and POV.
Agree with Dan on taking a bit off the top.
Gail

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Dan, great low perspective, and love the bow wave. Excellent exposure on the head, and I do like the lighter BG. Im actually fine with your overall comp.

[keith mitchell]

I love the way you get down low to give the bow wave effect on these Ducks that you are posting Daniel.

Keith.

[Bill Dix]

Congrats on the nemesis bird. (My favorite duck; a most elegant bird.) Great low POV. Like others, I could see a bit off the top. Love the bow wave.

[David Salem]

Congrats on getting your first Sprig. What a graceful and majestic duck. The shot looks great and I like the pose and the wake. I agree with Dan on adding a bit more contrast or a few points of black.
Glad you are having a good waterfowl season. They are probably almost all gone by now. Well done.