Long-tailed Duck

[Bob Malbon]

A windy afternoon today added some chop that this LTD was swimming into creating a bow wake that I don't see often with these small ducks. Hand held laying flat on a floating lobster dock at sunset. 1DMk3 on 500f4, iso800 (partly cloudy) 1/800, f6.3, AIservo, Manual Exposure. 50% crop - Bob

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Beautiful eye contact and I really like the pose and raised water. I do find the whites a little hot on my monitor. Many thanks for sharing Bob.

[Doug Hitchcox]

Nice shot Bob! You can see some nice detail in this bird that can be pretty hard to get. I would probably run a little NR on the dark parts of the waves on either side of him. Was this taken at the Pine Point Co-op?

[Bob Malbon]

Doug, Yes, while laying prone on the floating dock! Thanks for the heads up on the L/R noise.

Judy, Thanks for the comment. On my CRT the whites read out below 255 except the center "hot" spot of water. Bob

[Steve Maxson]

I like the close view of a usually-distant bird, Bob. Nice head angle plus good sharpness and DOF. I like the light on the bow wave (except for the hot spot). The other whites look OK on my monitor. Well done.

[Blake Shadle]

Hi Bob, very nice image. The exposure looks fine to me. The only thing that I wish were different is that there was some separation between your subject's beak and his back, which would keep it from having the merged look it does now. Keep up the good work.