Where'd That Duck Go?

[Arthur Morris]

I've been trying these for years and this is one of my very favorites. It was created yesterday off the Barnegat jetty.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering at zero (to "save" the bright whites on the head; what head???): 1/640 sec. at f/5.6.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[denise ippolito]

Artie, Very nice to get the dive w/ the tail feathers fanned so nicely. The water splash looks great. You got some great shots from Barnegat. Hope to see more:).

[Indranil Sircar]

Artie, beautifully composed. The timing is perfect without too much water splash. I love the light and the details on those perfectly fanned tail feathers. I also like how you kept this slightly angled. Is this hand held? Best Regards

[Paul Lagasi]

I am always amazed how fast ducks can dive....I've been trying for a long time to capture an image of one just as it begins the dive but my finger just never seems fast enough....fanned tail, water droplets, wing tips just showing....good timing...TFS

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all. Indranil, though the 800 can be handheld for short periods, it is not something that I do or recommend. I used the Mongoose M3.5B on a Gitzo 3530 LS. That's about as light as it gets.

[Christopher Miller]

Hi Artie, Perfect pose and timing. Like the water drops above the tail. Well done!

[Julie Kenward]

Artie, this is really one of a kind. Were you on shore or photographing from a boat? I love the angle you captured this at.

[Arthur Morris]

Artie, this is really one of a kind. Were you on shore or photographing from a boat? I love the angle you captured this at.

Thanks Julie. I was on the Barnegat jetty in New Jersey.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all for stopping by. BTW, I never "saw" this in the viewfinder. I have tried to train myself to hit the shutter button as they begin to dive. The keeper rate is .00001 per cent. :)

[Arthur Morris]

ps: Here's a halfway decent one from New Mexico