Blue-winged Teal (f)

[Joseph Przybyla]

Photography at Circle B Bar Reserve is slow and the Gulf Coast has red tide so Friday morning we went to Lake Morton in Lakeland, Florida. I captured this image of a female Blue-winged Teal flapping it's wings after bathing. I guess I wish the bird had turned towards me a little bit more, but when they start dunking and splashing what direction the face when flapping is about impossible to determine. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D500
Nikon 500mm F/5.6 VR AF-S ED PF + Nikon 1.4 III Teleconverter, camera and lens supported by a Oben carbon fiber monopod with a Wimberly MonoGimbal head
1/2000 F/8 Matrix Metering EV +1/3 ISO 1000 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 700mm (1050 mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2021 and Neat Image for noise removal
Cropped for composition and presentation

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Joe, would have liked if you were a tad more to the right, here I get the impression you are shooting from slightly behind the subject? What format, if Landscape then perhaps try portrait with more below. Hate to suggest it, as you just throw data away, but...

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

I like the image Jo - not worried about the head turn - hey you have an eye turn! Colours and tones look well represented.

[Colin Driscoll]

Good pose and well lit with the indirect light. A couple of small white spots could be removed on the near wing.

[John Mack]

Nice light and nice view of this hen. She is looking right at you.

[Dorian Anderson]

There's something really funny about her face here, almost like she's up to no good. The white bit on the inside far wing is a bit hot, and I think the bird needs more room above and below; she's kinda crammed into the frame as she is. Mid-stroke pose is what is it. Full extension either front or back would have cracked.