Drake Ring-Necked Duck - C & C Please

[Den Bagwell]

• Location: San Diego County
  
• Species: Ring-Necked Duck (Drake)
  
• Time of day/Weather: One hour before sunset/sunny day
  
• Camera Body: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  
• Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, zoomed to 400mm
  
• ISO: 400
  
• Shutter Speed: 1/1000
  
• Aperture: f/5.6
  
• Focus: Center point, back button focus
  
• Hand Held
  
• Crop: Yes
  
• DPP 4.0
• Photoshop: none

Thanks for looking and providing feedback.

[Glennie Passier]

Den, Nice duck, nice water. I am unable to comment on colour, but feel you could get more colour and detail out of the dark head? If this image were mine, I would consider darkening the reflection a little and lightening the back where the solid black is. The black looks a little choked and heavy. One minor nit is the small, darkest reflected bit of water on the LHS...it really draws my eye for some reason.

[Diane Miller]

Nice water and a pleasant reflection. I agree with Glennie about wanting more detail in the darks. At ISO 400 you should be able to pull out more unless it was underexposed. If he had turned a little toward the viewer it would engage the viewer more compellingly and would put more light on the face. It is quite shaded as is.

I don't know the duck that well but wonder if the light feathers on the side have gone a bit too gray.

I don't know how much you cropped but I would take a little off the top and add it back to the bottom, and add a little on the right.

Look forward to a repost and to seeing more!