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Thread: Hooded Merganser

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    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
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    Default Hooded Merganser

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    I haven't posted in Avian for quite some time so I thought I would share this image of a Hooded Merganser taken in late April from a blind on a small forest pond in northern Minnesota. I liked the mood created by the evening light along with the reflections of the trees on the edge of the pond. 7D, 500 mm f/4 + 1.4X, 1/320, f/6.3, ISO 400, tripod. All comments are welcome and appreciated.

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    I would like a slightly tighter crop here, and a lower perspective if possible. But the reflections are very, very, nice! Looks sharp, which says a lot for your 1/320 sec shutter speed, even with a tripod in my opion.

    These guys have stunning eyes!

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    BPN Viewer Dave Leroy's Avatar
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    Love the mood created here Steve. Very nicely done.

    Copper tones of bg compliment the Merganser and add to photo.

    I like the extra space. It adds to the calm and stillness of the late afternoon for me.

    Lovely.

    Dave

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    I like the composition and the colors and reflection are very nice. TFS

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    I like the subject size and placement within the frame as is. Nice light and earthy tones. I like the horizontal textures in the water, but I'm not so fond of the bolder vertical stripes. Well done overall, wondeful late evening mood to the image.

  6. #6
    Tommy Rodgers
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Maxson View Post
    I haven't posted in Avian for quite some time so I thought I would share this image of a Hooded Merganser taken in late April from a blind on a small forest pond in northern Minnesota. I liked the mood created by the evening light along with the reflections of the trees on the edge of the pond. 7D, 500 mm f/4 + 1.4X, 1/320, f/6.3, ISO 400, tripod. All comments are welcome and appreciated.
    A very nice image to view with my morning coffee. I particularly like the mood, very woodsy. The crop looks good to me, but I, too, am a little turn off my the vertical ribs. The reflection is definitely a keeper.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Steve:

    Good to see you on the Avian board.

    Good comments above. I think the comp as posted works well for a small in the frame subject, and in establishing the 'mood' of the image.

    From a pure image standpoint, I appreciate the vertical lines being a bit distracting, but from a story telling aspect, they help establish the environment.

    The directional lighting gives it a nice sense of form.

    Cheers

    Randy
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    Great colors, light and detail...A lovely image!

  9. #9
    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
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    Thanks for the feedback, folks. As I suspected, the vertical reflections of the tree trunks are not everyone's cup of tea and usually I don't much care for them myself. In this particular case, my thoughts are similar to those expressed by Randy - in that they help to set the mood and the environment. In the spring in northern Minnesota, hooded mergansers seem to prefer small forest ponds and I thought the tree reflections would be typical of that environment.

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