Female Mallard

[Andrew Merwin]

I shot this in heavy shade. The sun had set behind the trees & rims & I was shooting into the light. I would like to have gotten lower, but I was shooting over the cat tails that were along the shore line of this creek.

Exposure Mode: Auto exposure
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
Exposure Time: 1 / 200
FNumber: 6.3
Focal Length: 400
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Metering Mode: Spot
HH

[denise ippolito]

Andrew, Nice environment image. I like the pose and the details. I might take some off the bottom if it were mine.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the pose, eye contact and angle. I agree regarding cropping a bit off the bottom and I might blur the BG a bit as it competes with the bird.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Hi Andrew, I might crop up to where log reflection ends - TFS.

[Andrew Merwin]

I do like your suggestions. I cropped it but I am on the fence about blurring the BG.

Andrew

[denise ippolito]

Andrew, I would probably crop just a tiny bit more. As for blurring out the BG, I'm never a fan of unnatural blurred BG's but in this case I think Axel makes a good point since the ducks coloring is so similar to the BG. and there is a lot going on back there. I would just give it a try at a low opacity and see if you like it.:)

[Andrew Merwin]

Andrew, I would probably crop just a tiny bit more. As for blurring out the BG, I'm never a fan of unnatural blurred BG's but in this case I think Axel makes a good point since the ducks coloring is so similar to the BG. and there is a lot going on back there. I would just give it a try at a low opacity and see if you like it.:)

Thanks Denise. I will give it a try to see how I like it.

Andrew