I did some work in the background because of a mud line. I liked the colors,sharpness and pose so it was worth saving.
This Merganser is in transition to breeding plumage.
Excellent pose, angle in frame, exposure, sharpness. Orange bill and feet really jump out.
I have mixed feelings about the blue patch. Because they are so bold, and really jump out, I might try to tone them down or eliminate. Personal preference.
Another very nice flight image James. Love the entire merganser family. As mentioned this just jumps off the screen. Great techs and sharpness. Well done.
TFS
Todd
Great position and as stated gives a great sense of speed. I would wonder about a little more blur to the brown area of the background which would give even more sense of depth. There is a slight gray halo around the tip of the closer wing.
Thanks for comments I cleaned up the blue in the water and fixed a gray area in the near wing as mentioned and for Robert it is critically sharp but when I downsized it needed a touch more sharpening
but the raw file is critically sharp.:w
Super shot, great action, i thought the first was really good but the second is even better, I am amazed that the little bit around the wing tip has such a profound effect. i often get soft areas as in the first image after brushing or cloning but the repost is very clear - did you make a mask of the wing tip, if so what settings did you use - I would appreciate any tips you may care to pass on, thanks.