Hi All,
Shot these at a local park. I’m curious which you prefer. Not much done in post. Straightened and cropped a bit for composition. I then dodged the bit a touch, sharpened, and reduced noise on the BG. All C&C welcome.
Is this a composite: No
D850
700mm, handheld
ISO 1600
1/500
f/5.6
Both are nice eye level shots with fine detail. I’d go with the second one-I like the head position better and the water droplets.
I like the first pose but I personally delete nictitating eye photos… The second is nictitating but not as noticeable but not open enough for me…I find it tough to get good preening shots for that reason because that is what the birds do when they preen…
A personal preference, it just bothers me and it can be fixed by substituting eyeballs I guess but I wont do that…
Great angle and IQ.
Hi Lyle, both great shots - tough to choose between them. I really like the upside down head in the first image - great pose. But I also really like the second one with the water drops and a great pose too. Think I’ll choose the first for the interesting head position.
Hello, Lyle, both good shots, the first one has the upside down head, which makes it ‘funny’, but the second one appeals a bit more to me, mainly because of the water droplets (I assume). Cheers, Hans
They are both nice but I prefer the first shot. I like the pose more, the view of the whole head and bill of the bird, and the beautiful wing feathers.
Both great shots. If I was going to hang it on the wall, I’d choose the second because it’s more elegant. But the first shot is just fun and a bit unusual which is appealing too!
Both are dandy shots with unglue poses and from a nice low angle. I like the darker bg better in the second so that is the way i would go.
Hi Lyle! I really love the 2nd shot. The background is more blurred. The reflections in the water are more pronounced. As already mentioned, I too love the water droplets coming off the tail. Also I like seeing a little bit of the ducks foot and the duck just looks so graceful. It’s a beautiful shot!
Tough choice, Lyle. I like both, but they have completely different feels to me. The head back reminds me of a Yoga pose whereas the head down pose looks like it’s sleeping. Both are very peaceful images, but the yoga pose has a lot more latent energy. I would take a bit off the left in the yoga version.
I prefer the first one, Lyle, as it looks poised to strike in a duel. The second one looks dozy to my eye, except for the quivering tail. I also prefer No 1 for colour balance and composition.
