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Thread: Shootout with Grace - Long-tailed Duck

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    Default Shootout with Grace - Long-tailed Duck

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    Well there is no comparison with Grace's recent Long-tailed Duck photos, but I felt pretty lucky to have found this one yesterday very close to my home. I got so excited, I forgot to lower my ISO until after the wing flap.

    I saw him/her (would like to know the sex if anyone knows) from my car close to shore. I was afraid to go home with nothing, so I first jumped out with my equipment and beanbag down on the oyster beds. I then donned my waders in the not as cold water as Grace was obviously in. I proceeded with my monopod into the water and decided to shoot in a kneeling position b/c the tide was pretty low and I wanted a low shooting angle. It was shortly after this capture, that I lost my balance and fell into the water. The good news is that I was able to hold my equipment above the water (the gym visits are paying off), the water wasn't as cold as I had anticipated, so I simply regrouped and kept on shooting. I felt as though it was worth the dunk!

    Canon 1D3, Canon 500L F4 IS & 1.4 TC
    F8, 1/5000sec, ISO 800, manual mode
    Monostat monopod, Mongoose Head

    C & C always welcomed and appreciated. I could use a little advise on how everyone feels about this crop. I had difficulty choosing one.

    Marina Scarr
    www.marinascarrphotography.com

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    Excellent light and details.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Marina:

    Very nice pose, flying drop, exposure. Glad your gear survived without a dunk. Good shooting angle too!

    If I were cropping, I would come in from the right about 40% of the free space, down from top about 1/2 the free space above the drop, and see how it looked.

    Cheers

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Marina, getting down and wet has paid off here to produce this perspective. Well timed to capture the wingflap, and that single droplet adds interest. Randy has pretty much covered what I would have suggested for placement. I wish I had a location like this close to my house. Glad your gym work is paying off.

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    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
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    That's a pretty rare bird for your neck of the woods. You definitely made the most of your encounter, with a great pose, excellent sharpness, and a solid exposure. I like Randy's idea for the crop.
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    Marina, LOVE this one! I believe that this is a female, way out of it's usual territory. I am guessing that you cropped the way you did so as to not disturb the circle but it does seem to throw off the balance of the image. THe flying droplet and creamy whites as well as the flapping pose are beautiful. Glad you and your stuff are ok.

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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    Thank you everyone for your thoughtful suggestions and advice. I have reworked this image from the RAW to work on the colors. Gave it a little rotation and recropped as per suggestions. You are exactly right about why I chose this crop, Grace, and thank you for the info that this is a female.

    I actually think the repost is a huge improvement. This is one of the resaons that participating on BPN can be so helpful and educational. Please let me know if this works better.
    Marina Scarr
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    THe comp of your repost looks great. I suspect that a few of the whites on her face and lower body may contain more detail than shown (Could be a compression issue). But I'd look to see what's there. And the eye could use a bit more life. But these are real picky little things. It's a really fun image with that flap, flying droplet and droplets on her body. And I agree 100% with your comment about the value of this forum.

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    Loved the story on the capture, and way to hang in there.
    Like the repost and you could try even moving the female (I concur with Grace-a male this time of year would be quite striking on the head with different mixtures of brown) a little more right.

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    Great image Marina! I like the exposure, details, water drop and composition in the repost.

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    Super Moderator arash_hazeghi's Avatar
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    excellent pose and nice light I like the repost better
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    I like the repost a lot better too, Marina, it really sings now. Love the light, the pose and the exposure. Stellar job. Falling in was definitely worth it!

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Hi Marina,
    I love the pose and the clean BG. That single droplet of water above the head is great. And I love his big fat belly!The repost is much better compwise but there seems to have been a loss of detail around the eye? I would clone out the specular highlights on the bill as well.
    I have joined the shoot out and hope you don't mind!!
    Gail

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    Repost pops more and I think you did well here. I am so glad one of us got this beauty and i certainly hope she sticks around so we can both have another go at it. So glad you managed to keep your gear above water unlike some of us UGHHH... I'm thinking we both left our mark in those very same waters... too funny. I love that drop of water too.

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