Baby Wood Ducks

[My Hanh Dang]

It was another day of chasing baby Wood Ducks at the lake. The little ducklings finally came to rest on a rock ledge, I was able to get within 10 ft of them, getting a few near full frame shots. The mid-day sun made it difficult for a correct exposure. I was just happy to see them so close in person.



Walnut Canyon, Orange County, California. Nikon D200 w 70-200mm f2.8 + TC14, Manual exposure, 1/1250s, f/4, ISO200, hand held, no flash.

Thank you for looking,

Hanh

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great find, good exposure control and I also like the composition. I would remove the specular highlights on the eyes of the birds that are out of focus and might remove the little rock in the lower right. Keep them coming!

[Colin Knight]

Comp is nice, and exposure was handled very well. +1 on Axel's comment about the specular highlights.

I wouldn't have known they were baby wood ducks until you said so. Are you able to continue to photograph them as they mature and get their colors?

Colin

[Arthur Morris]

A lovely COMP and a good job with the tough light. The right hand bird is not a plus.... Ditto Axe's comments.

[My Hanh Dang]

Thank you Axel, Colin, and Artie for the critiques. In a spontaneous environment (wildlife, for example), I really had no control over how the birds pose (as opposed to model photography). I just tried to make sure I did well in areas I could have some control over, such as exposure, focus, composition, etc.
I did notice that the birds on the left and right can be a little distracting to the composition, but decided to keep it anyway, knowing how difficult it is to get this close to these particular little fellows.

Colin: I have had a chance to photograph many adult male & female Wood Ducks in their color breeding plumage. They've been uploaded to my website.

[Arthur Morris]

Thank you Axel, Colin, and Artie for the critiques. In a spontaneous environment (wildlife, for example), I really had no control over how the birds pose (as opposed to model photography). I just tried to make sure I did well in areas I could have some control over, such as exposure, focus, composition, etc.
I did notice that the birds on the left and right can be a little distracting to the composition, but decided to keep it anyway, knowing how difficult it is to get this close to these particular little fellows.

Hy Mi Hahn, YAW. And you are correct. Unless we are working at some sort of a set-up, we have no control at all over how the birds pose. But when doing image critiques we often mention things that folks cannot control so that folks know what to look for in the future.

[My Hanh Dang]

Thank you Artie. I appreciate it.

Hanh