I saw these wood ducks though an opening in the reeds. The male was softly lit by early sun coming through a nearby tree. The light was further softened by smoke in the air.
I really like the setting and that streak of light. It’s an interesting image design. Quality could better, likely from the crop and/or processing. The image would be stronger for me if all the ducks were making eye contact with the viewer.
Lovely light! The contrast seems very high for the lighting. I don’t know your processing but I wonder if some strong moves with the Shadows and Highlights inraw conversion would prove good. My personal taste would be to crop from the top to about halfway to the farthest OOF object.
Hi Richard
You have to love Wood Duck. I think Diane is correct on the framing and wings look a little blocky. The blacks could come up a little, but the whites look good. I like the low angle and soft lighting.
Peter
Excellent light and point of view. Lyle, Diane, and Peter make some good points regarding composition, highlight and shadows. Wood ducks are fun species to photograph.
