Mallard Preening - Too Much Brown?

[Mark Theriot]

I want to like this, just not sure. Is it the brown female on the mostly brown background that is just not doing it?

560mm
ISO 1600
1/1000th
f/8
+1 ev

Thanks, all C&C most appreciated!

Mark

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Mark Just did a crop to the top and bottom, its a good image. Would have like seeing the head parallel to the film plane. Well exposed, clean bg, sharp and a good looking duck !!!

[Lance Peters]

Hi Mark - AL'S repost does improve - IMHO the problem is the contrast line formed by the rocks in the BG - creates a diagonal line through the image and divides the water into two sections (with reflection and without) I think it would be stronger if the water was all the one golden colour.
Just IMHO :)

[Dave Mills]

Hi Mark, Good suggestions above. I also feel the image would have been stronger with a solid base color rather than a color division.As stated it has a tendancy to divide the image.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Agree with comments. Mark, nice habitat and behavior image, try and work either subject or environment to get the clean BG - so important for winning pictures.

[Mark Theriot]

Thanks guys - good comments all the way around.

Al, crop does make a big difference. I think a get what your'e saying about the head - it's not perpendicular to the photographic plane of the camera.

Yes, I had to look a little hard to get that diagonal line in my mind's eye - but now I can't get it out - that's the element that was bugging me.

Thanks guys, one more step down the road to the next (better setup) picture!

Mark