This Wood Duck was photographed from a blind at a small woodland pond. Question: Is the piece of vegetation hanging from the bill a plus or a minus. Personally, I like it because it shows some behavior and makes this image stand out from all the the others that are simply portraits (albeit, very nice portraits) of the bird. I expect others will disagree - and I welcome your opinions. :) 40D, 500 f/4 +1.4X, 1/500, f/6.3, ISO 400. Cropped from a horizontal original.
being that it is a portrait, i dont like the debris. maybe if it included more habitat it would work better for me. looks like you may have lost some detail from a large crop? not bad but another round of sharpening to the eye might help. fantastic exposure on a difficult bird!!
Fantastic exposure control on this difficult species, and you got all the colours too. Good vertical comp, and I like the vegetation hanging from the bill...gives it a bit of an extra of interest to prevent it being like just any other Wood Duck portrait. I agree with Harold about sharpening the eye - and I would also clone out the lower dimmer catchlight. Well done!!
Good for you Steve to get all the colours with nothing blown out. I don't mind the grass. The one small thing that did catch my eye were some of the bg reflections just above the ducks head. Very nicely done. Dave
Steve, comp works well, excellent exposure on the colours, and I like the hint of droplets all over the body. The piece of grass does take this above the normal portrait.
Foraging Woodie
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