Northern Shoveler 2

[Bill Scott]

Here's another Northern Shoveler image from Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson. It was photographed just a few minutes (late afternoon) before the photo I posted yesterday. As with the last image it was a raw file converted and cropped with basic adjustment. In PS CS3 I removed two ducks from the frame.using Robert O'Toole's quick mask method.

The Shovelers were bathing and after their bath they would raise up do a lot of wing flapping, It was fun capturing this guy in mid-flap.

Canon 20D on tripod
300mm F4 with 1.4 extender
1250 at F 5.6
ISO 200

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Bill Love the water and pose Sure nailed the flapping even to the point of having some separation from the beak One tough bird to expose Wish for more detail in the whites btw did big time good with the making technique !!!! Congrats !!!

[Bill Scott]

Many thanks, Alfred for the comments. I'm glad you liked the pose, which I thought folks might find a bit odd. I'll definitely be going back for another session with the Shovelers and see if I can do better with the whites. It's a very common duck, but they're mighty snappy dressers :)

[Blake Shadle]

Many thanks, Alfred for the comments. I'm glad you liked the pose, which I thought folks might find a bit odd. I'll definitely be going back for another session with the Shovelers and see if I can do better with the whites. It's a very common duck, but they're mighty snappy dressers :)

They're not all that common to me!! You're doing an excellent job with these Shovelers. The pose and action captured is excellent. I might like to see his body intersecting the right-third line, making a little more room behind him. I have a feeling you're going to come home with some very nice images after the next time you're out in the field.

[Bill Scott]

They're not all that common to me!!

Hey Blake, I guess I should have said, common in the west:) I'll try cropping it so he was intersecting the right third line and see what it looks like. Thanks for the comments.

[Gus Cobos]

Very nice exposure, love the action and bright colors...:)