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Mallard Portrait - Male


Posted by LHays on Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:58 am

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We've been in a deep freeze and I've been in a deep funk. Most of the lakes are frozen and what few birds are around are either too far away...or very common. I've been going out anyway and shooting the mallards with the 10D. I really like the images that I get with the 10D but have yet to figure out all its quirks with exposure. The BG was snow and the whole image was underexposed (at least I don't blow out whites anymore). When I cleaned up a couple of spots in the snow and lightened it, the BG was white so I just darkened the BG. This was just as the sun was setting but I didn't get the beautiful golden light as it was slightly overcast. Shot from an SUV in balmy 13 degrees.....I thought my fingers were going to freeze.

Canon 10D, 500mmL IS, 1.4X TC
ISO 400, f/11, ss 1/250, EV -1
PS - cropped, USM, levels, etc.
Lana Hays
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by Rich S on Thu Jan 22, 2004 6:01 am
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Very nice portrait of a common subject. Love the detail throughout. (And 13 degrees is balmy! :) )

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by Jim Neely on Thu Jan 22, 2004 6:13 am
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Good looking guy, Lana.

Your focus and exposure are dead on and the composition is as nice as you could ask for.

Very well done.

jn
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by Alan Melle on Thu Jan 22, 2004 6:17 am
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Wow! Does that ever jump off the screen! Great job getting this handsome fella's green head all nicely lighted. Nice job!
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by KK Hui on Thu Jan 22, 2004 7:12 am
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Fantastic colors and sharpness, Lana! :lol:

The freezing cold sounds awful as I would imagine ...
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Last edited by KK Hui on Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
 

by DC on Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:11 am
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Gorgeous shot Lana. That green head really pops against the white BG.
Excellent work, well done.
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by Sandy Mossberg on Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:38 am
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Mr. Duck is a handsome fellow with his iridescent head, finely detailed feathers and perky look. Using flash as main might have allowed you to get a darker BG. Good stuff, Lana.
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by Bill Whala on Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:02 am
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Great color, detail and composition. Who could ask for more? :D
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by Alan Murphy on Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:13 am
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Lana, great head shot.
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by fredcor on Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:14 am
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Truly a handsome duck. The green head is alive with the perfect eye. You have captured the Mallard at it's best. :D :D :D
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by Harvey Edelman on Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:24 am
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Lana...this is absolutely OUTSTANDING! There is a bit of moire that I can see in the image but that should be fixable and I don't think the average viewer will notice it.
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by joseph motto on Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:38 am
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Lana,
Are you sure you didn't plunk a friendly duck down on a stool in a studio and shoot this? I usually don't like featureless light backgrounds but it sure works here. Congrats.
joseph motto
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by AlexC on Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:59 am
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8) 8) 8)
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by Wayne Nicholas on Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:02 pm
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Lana, a BG painted with sunset light would have been great, but you really did this guy justice. He should have paid you for this portrait. :D
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by David Jernigan on Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:17 pm
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Beautiful, the colors are great.

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by Bruce DiVaccaro on Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:52 pm
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Lana,

Wow, the colors are great. Sure is sharp with lots of nice detail. Well done. I think I see the SUV in his eye.
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by E.J. Peiker on Thu Jan 22, 2004 3:25 pm
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This is extremely well done. I'm surprised it came out as well as it did at -1 due to the light background and relatively light subject.
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by Jim Neiger on Thu Jan 22, 2004 4:18 pm
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Great details, color, and exposure. It sort of just leaps off the screen. :)
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by Cliff Beittel on Thu Jan 22, 2004 4:27 pm
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Odd workflow--i.e., underexpose, lighten, then darken background :wink: --but a beautiful result!
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by Jill on Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:47 pm
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Lana, A handsome dude for certain!! Superb color and details!!! :D :D
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