Wood Duck Portrait

[Mike Milicia]

EOS-1D Mk III, 500mm f/4 + 25mm Ext. Tube, 1/400, f/8, ISO 400
Full Frame

Photographed this week at a local pond.

Looking forward to your comments and critiques !

[Fabs Forns]

The soldier know how to wear a helmet :)

Looking good, great EXP, good compo and detail, neat BG. Shame the light didn't hit the iridescence of the face.

[Steve Canuel]

Lots of detail to explore in this image. Nice.

[Stephen Stephen]

Mike beautiful portrait of this drake. I'm looking forward to seeing these fellows return to Ottawa soon.

[Mike Lentz]

The close up is like a painting of colors. Nicely done!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great details and the soft light really helped. There is a tiny dust spot in the upper left. Did you lighten the eye? I'm wondering if the black of the eye looks a bit washed out or if it is due to the reflection.

[Robert Amoruso]

I wish I had a local pond this these guys in them. Nice work on the tight portrait. I might try desaturate the red at the eye and/or eye ring. Also toning down the white on the beak. I now these guys are tough to expose due to the extreme contrast they have in the plummage, beak and eye.

[Mike Milicia]

Thanks for the feedback/comments!

Axel, the eye looks the way it does because the duck was standing on snow covered ice which was reflecting into the bottom half of the eye only making it whiter/lighter than the top half.
I did some selective darkening to even out the eye reflection a bit better.
Also took Robert's suggestions of desaturating the eye ring a bit and toning down the bill even more than I had originally.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great improvement of an already good image in the repost.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Stunning image and lovely repost. Love the excellent color and detail as well as the crop you chose for this image. Killer BG too. Thanks for sharing Mike.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Stunning shot, great level of detail, terififc light, superb textures and wonderfull color! Congrautlaitons!