A personal note to my followers: Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, but it's been way too cold in Florida and I haven't been taking any photos lately. In addition, my computer is right next to the front door so I haven't been editing due to the draft from the door. I just freeze.You will probably have to click on this shot to get the best view. I wish there weren't so many reflections. These two Mallards got into a squabble and I was lucky enough to catch them in the heat of it. It was cool to watch them.
This is the first time there's been so many Mallards here. Usually, there's 4 Mottled Ducks who come back every year. I counted 10 Mallards this morning and I haven't seen the usual Mottled Ducks. I wonder why that is?
Settings used for this shot were ISO 400 to get a high shutter speed (1/250) to stop the action enough to get some clarity, F5.6 to try to blur out some of the sharp reflections, 55-200mm lens at 250mm, partial metering off the duck in flight, + 1 1/3 stops exposure compensation because the birds were backlit.
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6 comments:
Beautiful, Loyce! I love the reflections--they give the shot a busy, active feel, just as the squabble ends. You are so lucky to have these beautiful birds in your own back yard. May it warm up quickly so that you can get out and take more photos!
Love the action you've captured in this shot, and I like the reflections. O.K. I'm going to try to be sympathetic about your cold weather. (haha) Living in northern Utah and in the shadow of the Rocky mountains, and within 20 minutes of some of the best ski resorts on the planet, we have plenty of snow, and for the past week or so, temperatures in the single digits. (My daughter in Omaha said they had -20 the other day, not counting wind chill.) Burr, I'm ready for spring. My niece lives in Florida and says most of her garden and tropicals are dead. That is a shame.
Nice shot, I like the line formed by the splashes behind the duck. You made good use of the exposure compensation for the backlighting here without washing out the midtones.
Thanks, Margo. I am lucky to have these wonderful birds in my backyard. I'm always sure to have something to shoot at. I sure wish it would warm up, though.
I know, Karen; I'm a whimp. I moved here from upstate NY, so I am well-acquainted with the cold weather. I just don't expect it in Florida.
Our tropical plants are all dead, too. It's such a shame. It looks like everyone will be paying at the supermarket in the coming year for this cold spell. Most of our crops are damaged. It's too bad.
Thank you so much, Jim. I like that line as well. Without the exposure compensation, I'd have had big, black blobs instead of nice feathers on the Duck.
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