This was taken at Burnaby Lake, BC about a month ago. I had taken several images while standing on the boardwalk, all of which had me looking down on the teal. So I sat on the edge of the boardwalk and plunged my tripod over the edge to get closer to the level of the bird. I love Green-winged Teal.
I thought about adding a bit of canvas to the the left. What do you think?
Image has been tweaked and cropped in LR2 and PSCS4.
All C & C's much appreciated.
Cheers
Gail
Canon 40D with 100-400mm lens at 400mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, EV metering with +1/3 comp, ISO 640.
Last edited by Gail Spitler; 04-23-2009 at 12:02 PM.
Reason: Added PP info
Hi Gail. I love teals also and this is a pretty one! Love the colors and the water is lovely.
Definitely feels tight on the left, would open that up to include more of the water ripples in the ring and give the tail more space. Would also crop a bit off the top. Good HA and eye. I know you were on a boardwalk, but a lower angle would be nice. I've been tempted to spend the money on a right-angle viewfinder for these situations...
A challenge with these (and other) ducks is the presence of both full white and full black plumage. The white areas under the tail and neck are quite hot and could be toned down. Getting the best exposure is very difficult in the harsh sunlight. Did a good job with it!
i echo kerry's critique and would also add that i might clone out the streak in the reflection of the duck's head. i think i'd add a little down below also. there is a great connection with the bird here that i like a lot. congrats on the image. i like it!!
Agree with comments particularly the space in frame Would like to see more water around the duck !!
Looks like the sun was out (no clouds) exp comp would have been closer to even or just under ... all depends on what and how much is the metering seeing !!! Protect the whites !! Difficult to expose !!
Hi Gail - agree with all of the above - SOFTER light would have been the key ...... Did you not have that SUN remote dimmer switch that I sent over to you ;)
Again - thanks very much for the comments and suggestions. Your comments really help me to see the image for what it really is, rather than what my mind bends it into (if that makes sense). Also it gives me more ideas about what to do in terms of pp.
Thanks again and cheers
Gail
Green-winged Teal
