The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This was one of my most productive days ever of shooting Hooded Mergansers. I had about three hours to play with on New years eve morning and so I went to one of the local lakes nearby where I knew there were lots of hoodies. The weather was perfect. It was cloudy all day with some occasional showers making for prime shooting conditions for the male hoodies which must be shot in soft conditions (bright whites and deep dark blacks make for difficult exposures for any camera). There was no wind so the water was reflecting the shore vegetation nicely making for interesting water colors. The ducks were very active right off the bat doing all kinds of displaying, preening, mating, bathing and yes, hunting for crawdads which is their favorite meal.
This is a series of both males and females hunting dads. These are one of my very favorite birds to photograph because of the character they display. They are also VERY fast, faster than the king fisher that was flying over them all morning. Anyway, I thought I would share what a fun
morning I had on the water and what interesting little birds these guys are.
Specific Feedback
Nothing specific
Technical Details
Z9, 400mm f 2.8 lens with built in TC shot at 560mm, f/4, ISO 3200, 1/2500, hand held, manual exposure for the first image.
These are lovely @David_Haynes , images 1 and 3 are my favourites. To me the first shot really shows how “eager” the merganser is, and the reflected colours work really well, like you mentioned.
(a little disclaimer - I’m a beginner, and it’s my second time posting critique here )
David, what an awesome series. A terrific day and experience. All the images are fantastic. And your processing really brings out the drama. Well done, sir.
What a wonderful and amazing series! Each one is a stand-alone winner and the set is incredible!! No suggestions! It must be tricky swallowing those things…
Bravo! Compelling on their own, but really creates a story together. I know these guys are pretty fierce predators even though they don’t look it so this series is great for making that plain. Fabulous.
What a wonderful series, David. Every image is great and the series as a whole is really special. I could easily seeing you doing a “Project” out of that morning. I love it when I get a day like that and they’re all too rare.
My favorite is #3. You caught him absolutely perfectly in pose, sharpness and that marvelous water in the background. Because they’re so fast, a couple were just a bit soft, but super nevertheless. Great job!
Wonderful images David! All terrific. Great behavioral shots and nice to catch them in the colored water. Must have been a great experience and so nice to come back with images like this.
David, every superlative has already been used by the other posters, and for good reason. As much as I love the water action in 1,2 4 and 5, #3 steals the show for me. Thanks for sharing these!
Thanks for letting me share my experience with all of you @mdjnewman , @David_Bostock , @Diane_Miller , @Kris_Smith , @Jim_Gavin , @Dennis_Plank , @linda_mellor , @Denise_Dethlefsen , @Allen_Sparks , @Ron_Meeker and thanks for stopping by for your thoughts on these. This was also the first time I used my new, long awaited for, 400mm 2.8 lens with the built in teleconverter. This lens is simply insane.
I’ll probably do a couple more series of these guys in flight as well as posturing, etc. It was a super quick yet fun and productive morning. I may even do a project as @Dennis_Plank mentioned. I need to put some thought into that. Thanks again everyone.
Wow, an incredible series. Image number four is the most awesome, but not by much over the others. Lighting, comps, and captured action are all excellent. Fantastic series and I like them as presented…Jim
Man, David, these are just great! The color and clarity with the lens is fantastic. The set of images together though is what really appeals to me, just a super set of images telling a story. What a great way to kick off the year.
David, What an awesome series. Congratulations. I can’t add anything that has already been said but I do like your POV and being eye level. Thanks for the inspiration.
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