Wood Duck Drake

[Doug Brown]

I love photographing wintering ducks, and it's that time of year again! Here's a Wood Duck drake photographed in flight against a beautiful golden pond. Looking forward to spending some time with the winter ducks of Southern California with Dave Salem in January!

Canon 7D2, 600 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200, ISO 800, manual exposure, hand held

[Bill Dix]

Spectacular flight shot with perfect flight position, great details and colors. Especially the iridescence. Personal preference, but for me just a bit more space below and to the right might help.

[David Cowling]

Terrific flight shot. Love the downward wing position and the detail you have captured. Nice BG which complements the birds colours well. I don't know this bird as we don't have them in the UK, but is that a white marking on the beak or a highlight?

[dankearl]

i like the out of the shadows look, wouldn't mind a bit more all around...

[Daniel Cadieux]

I love the blue at the tip of the primaries, very neat. Perfect flight pose against a good BG. I wouldn't mind the subject just a touch higher in the frame, but certainly good as is too.

[gail bisson]

Would love this image in my files. I so wish I could join you guys in January. One of these days...
I really like the blue in the wingtips. Did not know this was a feature of wood ducks.
Perfect wing position and IQ awesome.
Gail

[Marina Scarr]

Spectacular angle and colors on this one.

[Mike Poole]

Great timing and pose, I too would like a little more room below, but a superb flight shot.

Mike

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely shot Doug my only suggestion is a slightly looser crop.

[Randy Stout]

Doug:

Very nice indeed. Climbing pose with full extension, angle towards us, and the seldom seen blue wing tips.

Our go to place for wood ducks in the midwest has fizzled out the last few years, and is very much missed.

Cheers

Randy

[Doug Brown]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Sometimes I get a little carried away with tighter crops when I nail the shot in camera. I have a decent amount of room in the RAW file and will try a recrop.

[arash_hazeghi]

excellent image Doug, great wing positions, BG, light and tack sharp

[David Salem]

Oh man is this a killer frame!! Love the flight pose and all the great colors. Exposure and details are killer and that green BG is awesome. Lots of ducks moving in over the last few days. It's gonna be a great workshop this January!! I think the comp is perfect!! That's how you do it when you have killer details like this, show them off!!

[Joe Subolefsky]

Very nice love it just as presented.