I photographed this Harlequin Duck at Yellowstone in May. I had never seen this beautiful bird in my life prior to this encounter. We were having a picnic lunch and I caught a glimpse of him in a nearby stream. I ran and grabbed my camera and started shooting. He let me get quite close. I debated about cloning out the rock on the left, but I decided that I liked the way it helped frame the duck.
Canon 30D, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, -1/3, ISO 400, handheld, flash
I'm not sure better light would have been all that better. It's tough to hold the whites, even on an overcast day. Of course you did a nice job with your recent post, and the light definitely gave the photo a sense of warmth that this one lacks.
You're right, to expose harlequins properly is as hard as it gets. But then, they are my favorite duck species and I really like the sounds they make. :)
Congratulations Doug on a fine image and for getting this image on your first opportunity. < smile > Very nice exposure and detail and many thanks for sharing.
Hi Doug I like it a lot The duck looks good and do like the frame Would like to see a little more of the right to have the virtual tail You did great with the highlight areas !!!!