Cinnamon Teal on the Wing

[Kirk Benson]

Long time no see, having some health issues safely behind me now has me back out shooting again... and it feels great. :)

Cinnamon Teal Drake flyby at my favorite pond. The trail I shoot from is elevated about eight feet above the pond so it provides a great vantage point and shooting angle as the ducks fly in and out of the pond. The background is the pond water reflecting the blue sky on this beautiful sunny morning.

D810 w 500 f/4 D AF-S (non-VR) ~ 1/5000s f/5.6 at 500mm ISO400 ~ Handheld ~ Processed in PS CC

All C&C are greatly encouraged and most appreciated ~ Thanks for looking at what I love to do.

Kirk

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Kirk, great to see you posting again, and what a great subject to come back with. Lovely flight pose, great show of the far wing, and yes, having the near wing dipping down further would have put this over the top. The colours look great, sharp, and popping nicely from the water BG.

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Kirk,
Beautiful image. Love the flight pose with the spread tail and colors, details look great. Well done.
Allen

[Randy Stout]

Kirk:


Glad you are able to rejoin us, and continued best wishes for your health moving forward.

What a spectacular duck, well captured here. Wonderful colors. Nice background.

In a perfect world, a bit more bank as mentioned so the near wing isn't so foreshortened, but still excellent! I believe he is ever so slightly past you, but that is truly a minor point, and pales in comparison to the pluses.

Cheers

Randy

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent flight shot. Beautiful dorsal view with lovely colors and details. Nice composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[David Salem]

Great to see you posting again Kirk and I'm glad you are getting over your health issues.

The shot looks fantastic and I love the colors of these little buzz bombs. Not an easy duck to catch in flight so good job there. I agree about the left wing and the head angle but the colors and details look awesome. I just posted a very similar frame a few posts down of the same species, in the same pose, from the same location

Look forward to shooting together again this year.

[arash_hazeghi]

excellent topside view in sweet light with great colors and nice details. I agree a better near wing position would have been ideal, this is a great location you guys have down there

TFS

[Marina Scarr]

Glad to hear you're back in the saddle so to speak. It looks as though you may have been standing near David Salem when you photographed this lovely duck. Well done and it's nice to have you back.

[Robert Kimbrell]

Love the topside View, the colors are stunning here. A sharp and beautiful image. Welcome back.

[Kirk Benson]

Kirk:

I believe he is ever so slightly past you, but that is truly a minor point, and pales in comparison to the pluses.

Cheers

Randy

Thanks so much for the well wishes and kind words Randy, thrilled you enjoyed the image. You are correct about him being slightly past me, I almost missed him completely as I was looking to my left and he came from my right. This is the first frame of a quick burst, and the best of the morning for me... I was really happy to get it. :-)

Kirk

[Kirk Benson]

Great to see you posting again Kirk and I'm glad you are getting over your health issues.

The shot looks fantastic and I love the colors of these little buzz bombs. Not an easy duck to catch in flight so good job there. I agree about the left wing and the head angle but the colors and details look awesome. I just posted a very similar frame a few posts down of the same species, in the same pose, from the same location

Look forward to shooting together again this year.

Thanks so much David, I really appreciate the well wishes and detailed critique. I failed to look far enough down the forum to see your SUPERB image before posting mine... had I noticed yours I would have waited awhile before posting this one. LOL Yes, I have no doubt this was taken within probably a few yards from you captured yours... it is a fantastic vantage point for DIF as they enter and exit the pond. Be well David, and yes we need to shoot together again soon. :-)

Kirk

[Kirk Benson]

Glad to hear you're back in the saddle so to speak. It looks as though you may have been standing near David Salem when you photographed this lovely duck. Well done and it's nice to have you back.

Many thanks for the kind words Marina. David and I weren't there on the same day, but I have no doubt our two shots were taken within a few yards of each other. It is the BEST vantage point for DIF and has long been a favorite morning spot of mine. :-)

Kirk

[Kirk Benson]

Humble thanks to each of you for your very kind words and constructive feedback, it is all very much appreciated. :-)

Kirk