Ducklings
A shot from last Spring of a beautiful duck family I took on Lake Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri
A shot from last Spring of a beautiful duck family I took on Lake Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri
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Jan, 2021Views
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Awards
Treasure Award
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
I was walking along the banks of Lake Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri last Spring when we came up upon this family of ducks. Taking images of birds is always an interesting challenge, but this was a little different. A lot of detail all in one place. I don't know that I had ever seen a duck family all in one place like that before. It was pretty exciting.Time
Late afternoon and the sun was shining with just a few wispy clouds. It was an amazing day for a walk. There are very few better places to be than the Ozarks in the Spring.Lighting
It really was a beautiful day. I shot with all-natural lighting. Keeping my shadow out of the way with the angle. That was the only trick.Equipment
I shot this with my Nikon D5600. I really like the way this camera has performed for me. I used a Telephoto lens (Nikkor AF-P 70-200) because I didn't want to disturb the family.Inspiration
It was an amazing sight. Wandering upon such a beautiful display of nature. Like I mentioned before I had never seen a duck and her ducklings up close like that; it really was amazing. I took several while they were there interacting. It was so incredibly peaceful.Editing
The shot was a bit overexposed, but lightroom cleaned it up quite nicely. I wanted to make sure I worked to reveal a little contrast from the shot. The colors were blending pretty naturally, but I wanted to catch the detail just right. I really liked the way it turned out. Still natural and quite clear.In my camera bag
I always carry my Nikon 5600 when I am out and about. It has never really let me down and it is durable in most conditions. I keep two Nikkor lenses, an 18-55mm and my 70-300. I recently added an 85mm to the bag as well. Always an extra SD Card and battery because I never know how long I will be out. I have a mini tripod I keep on days I don't have the full-sized one. I also keep a Comica shotgun mic in the bag as well. I might wander upon a concert or something and it gives me a little better sound than the camera onboard mic.Feedback
Take your time. Play with your settings. Give yourself as many looks as time will allow you. The beauty of digital is you aren't that limited. If you don't shoot RAW, change that. Give yourself as much wiggle room in post-editing as you can. Don't get in a hurry. I will say that I am probably not as dramatic with my editing as many can be. I like my steaks with very little seasoning because quality meat should be savored. It stands alone quite nicely. A great photo is the same; simplicity is understated too often these days.
