Fluffed up pintail hen

[Bob Smith]

This little lady was having quite a vigorous clean-up. 7D MII,EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6,ISO640,f/8,1/1600,tripod

[keith mitchell]

Well captured preening pose almost got the preen gland,good feather detail and all looks sharp,tiny nit would love to see more light in the eye and maybe a catch lite.Very nice piece of work.

Keith.

[Gerhard Weldhagen]

Very nice shot in good light and the low view adds to the intimacy of this image. The stick projecting from the left is a bit distracting.

[Arthur Morris]

Bob, Are you familiar with the phrase, "Point your shadow at the bird? a

[Bob Smith]

Thank you for the comments folks. I am Arthur, thanks to you, but unfortunately this bird was on the log out in a pond so no other approach was possible. What I try to do in such situations is to wait until the bird positions itself with the most pleasing lighting I can envision ( such as the face being lit up as it is here ) given the angle of exposure,again thanks to your many comments about waiting for the right head angle.

[Arthur Morris]

Good Bob, Just checking. Unfortunately when you opt to make images in difficult lighting situations, especially with off- angled light, the results are predictable: harsh shadows, to high contrast, and uneven lighting... As with your image above. It also looks to me as if the face and head are over-sharpened. Best, artie