Shooting conditions are not always optimum but we have to make the best of the situation at hand although I would of preferred the wings fully down I liked the blur as it shows the power at which this duck was flying these are such elegant looking ducks.
I don't think there is such a thing as "bad light" when it comes to your waterfowl flight images. You're right, the long curved tail and neck along with the coloring make these very elegant birds and you've captured it very well.
Pintails are such graceful ducks, and you've captured that grace nicely Jim. I don't mind the wing blur at all. We all know what you can do with good light and a fast shutter speed. I do like the high-key BG.
The focus and sharpness are dead on, and the bird really stands out against the background. Just enough blur on the wings to let us know that he was really moving! I think the only improvement I could suggest would be a better overall angle because he does seem to be angled slightly away from the camera, but I don't think you could really control that.
Nicely captured, Jim. I don't mind the blur; as you say, it shows movement. The head and pintail are sharp, and I like the colors you captured in the wing.
I think the blurred wing tips add to the picture. Sharpness and exposure is great. I wish you had captured the duck a few milliseconds before as it just seems to be flying away from you already.
Superb Pintail shot! Ohh....how i dream of making a shot of a Pintail like this....:o
Have done many flight shots of Ducks but the Pintail just eluded me so far..
Beautifully exposed image James, you allways manage such great detail in these images. Enjoy the blurred wing tips in this one and especialy like how you have captured the curved pintail and adjoining feathers.