Wood Duck
Dec, 2014Views
3264
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Awards
Top Shot Award 21
Featured
Winner in Isn't That Just Ducky? Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in 1000 Waterbirds Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
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donanzinger
April 21, 2015
Stunning image Diane. The colors you captured in the water work wonderfully with the wood duck's coloration.
Platinum
barbarabrock
November 22, 2015
Congratulations, Diane! Awesome. Honestly, I've never seen one of these little guys...
2MyEye
December 04, 2015
Beautiful capture and reflections! Admired in Reflections in Water photo challenge. Have a grand day!
Platinum
PRO
marcdewitt
July 01, 2017
Wood ducks are gorgeous on their own, but the coloring of the ripples nicely complements the subject. Well done!
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Canon Hill Park, Spokane, WA.Time
12:11pm on a Sunday in October.Lighting
This little pond is in the center of a beautiful, historic neighborhood in Spokane, WA. Every fall, it's frequented by a large variety of waterfowl, and because of its relatively small size, it's a go-to place for local photographers. The changing colors of the deciduous trees around the pond provide excellent color reflections and the best viewing is on the west side- perfect for the light source.Equipment
I used my first "grown-up" camera, the Canon 50D on a friend's 500 that has a 1.4 extender on it. Had to use a tripod for the beast of a setup. It proved better in that there was minimal movement on my end so the birds weren't too skittish.Inspiration
The COLORS! These birds are fantastic photo fodder- everything about them! Even the females are pretty in their own, simple way. When I saw this male swimming towards me, I wanted get his portrait- the color of the water mirrored his own coloring, and the blend from gold to mahogany almost made it seem surreal.Editing
I spend as little time as possible post-processing: a wee bit of sharpening, cropping and spot removal of some debris that was floating next to him.In my camera bag
These days, I have a Canon 70D, a Canon 300L prime lens, a 50mm and an 18-135mm. When I'm in the field, I rarely use anything but the 300- it's been my go-to lens and I love it! I've done a large amount of photography from my kayak with this lens with never a mishap (unless you count a dropped lens cap!).Feedback
Patience! Be aware of the light and your subject's relationship to it. Set yourself up, and wait; let wildlife come to you- if they are comfortable with their natural environment, they'll be more accessible to you and make better shots. What's the white balance setting? I shoot a lot in cloudy day setting to add warmth to the photo (except for days that are already warm cast) and prefer to shoot in AV mode as well- call me lazy, but it takes one more step out of the equation for someone who is dyslexic with numbers. Be aware of your camera's setup as you approach a scenario. Many times, I've jumped out of the car, camera in hand and so focused on catching the scene before it's gone that I forget things like camera settings, tripods, putting the car into park...
