Shades of yesterday’s Cinnamon Teal post but this time you get a different species and a curve ball.
Cinnamon Teals weren’t the only ducks I was trying to photograph during takeoff and flight two days ago at Bear River MBR. I need all the practice I can get so I was working on shovelers too.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I don’t think shovelers are usually quite as quick at taking off as Cinnamon Teals but they’re close. This drake was taking off from land rather than water. Since his feet were pushing down against a solid surface it probably increased the speed of his takeoff so I was lucky to get him on the first downbeat of his wings.
That wing position revealed the stunning colors on his left wing to complement the iridescent colors on his head and neck. His bright yellow eye and orange feet and legs only add to the extensive color palette. I count at least a dozen distinct colors on this duck. Yeah, it’s a busy and rather unattractive setting but I think it helps to make the colorful duck stand out.
I’ve done some dinking around with this version of the photo during processing.
This is what it really looked like. Do you see the difference?
The drake wasn’t alone – his mate was with him and she took off at the same time he did. But she wasn’t sharp and her head was mostly in shade so I cropped most of her out. I say “most” of her because I couldn’t crop out the end of her bill and still have a composition I like so that’s her bill poking into the frame at upper right.
In the first version of the photo above I cloned it out. I think it’s distracting.
Here’s all of her in a different crop of the same photo.
When I dink around with my photos in Photoshop (which I seldom do) I think full disclosure is the only honest way to go.
Ron
Note:
My definition of “dinking around in Photoshop” = removing or adding elements, changing colors significantly, composites, swapping backgrounds and the like. “Normal processing” such as cropping, sharpening, exposure adjustments, white balance adjustments and dust removal need not be disclosed.
What do I do during “normal processing?
- cropping – usually
- sharpening – always. RAW files always benefit from at least some sharpening. Jpegs are typically sharpened in camera.
- exposure adjustments – often
- white balance adjustments – almost never
- dust removal – hardly ever
Well dinked. (Dunk?).
Whatever you call it, I understand and am blown away. Again. Which for someone of my substantial size is impressive.
“Well dinked. (Dunk?).”
I hope it’s dinked, EC. I like it best. You made me smile again…
Wow, two magnificent takeoffs in one day. Quite the treat for you and us,
the speculum on the Northern Shoveler looks more teal than the one on the Cinnamon Teal. Now I’m really confused.
“Now I’m really confused”
Lyle, that’s part of the charm and allure of birds. They’re interesting.!
Interesting to see the evolution of the finished photo. They definitely tell 2 different stories. I like #3 because of the context and the relationship between the 2 birds, but #1 strikes me as a much stronger statement. Very cool, to see the artist’s mind/eye at work.
Yesterday’s Cinnamon Teal was fabulous. Just seeing it calm on the water, you have no idea of all the color in its wings! Sure you didn’t photoshop in those wings?😉
“Sure you didn’t photoshop in those wings?😉”
Not a chance, Carolyn. But I wouldn’t put it past some photographers. The things some of them do blow my mind. And they call it “nature” photography.
Have really appreciated Northern Shovelers since first seeing the here about sixteen years ago. Great colors and very attractive whether in the water or taking off etc. Like that you always inform us of your dinking around with the photos. Better to be dinking around than drinking around.
“Better to be dinking around than drinking around”
Ah, the difference a single letter can make. Thanks, Everett.
Another great photo revealing colors of the wing not often seen.
Also appreciate the information on your photo processing SOP.
Thank you, Michael.
I am looking at these at work (please dont tell my boss) where I am lucky enough to have 2 screens. So I looked at the first two pictures side by side and can finally appreciate the differences – but to my untutored eye they are quite subtle. I admire your fine discrimination and can barely imagine how much time the dinking around took. thank you Ron.
“can barely imagine how much time the dinking around took”
Frances, if I don’t have to selectively sharpen the bird in my images (careful masking before sharpening takes a lot of time), processing usually only takes me a few minutes. But if I have to mask it can take me up to a half hour, or more, for a single image.
Cloning out the female’s bill in this image only took a few seconds.
I don’t always think of Shovelers as beautiful but that male certainly is with all those colors showing! 🙂 Of course, I’ve never seen on in flight either! I like having the female in the shot even if blurry – gives context and just adds to it IMO.
“Dinking around” is a VERY useful phrase I also still use.. 😉
““Dinking around” is a VERY useful phrase I also still use”
It’s a Montana thing… 🙂
I’m with Granny Pat on this, but I also love the solo shot – I often forget about the otherworldliness of ducks. This one, in the bright colors, the wings, the snakey head and neck – is satisfactorily alien and wonderful.
“satisfactorily alien”
Sallie, I’m going to try to remember that word combination. I like it.
I really liked being able to view the male and female simultaneously while
displaying their markings and coloration open-winged– how often does one
get that opportunity– beautiful !
Good. Thanks, Kris.
Agree with what Kris said. Having seen Northern shovelers for the first time just a few weeks ago, and then only on the water, I especially like the open-wing photos.
I also love your use of highly technical terms like “dinking.” Gave me a good chuckle, in part because I come up with words similarly sometimes. Great to see the definition and I appreciate your integrity in letting us know when you dinked around with photos.
Duane.
Duane, for me “dinking around” is an old Montana-ism I’ve carried around since my teenage years. Can’t seem to shake it. It can be applied to many situations, not just photography. As a kid I did a lot of dinking around. Too much, really.
Ahh, that clarifies the meaning. I did not have that term growing up in Maryland, but I think I did too much dinking around also. Probably still do, but I’m okay with it now!
Goregous bird and great shots. I like both the first and third versions. Maybe its a matter of taste but I think it is quite acceptable for not-your-main-subject to be somewhat out of focus so long as the main subject is sharp. I would keep both and love them equally though for different reasons.
“I think it is quite acceptable for not-your-main-subject to be somewhat out of focus so long as the main subject is sharp.”
Granny Pat, I think it CAN be acceptable but with this photo it doesn’t work for me, in part because her head and eye are in shade.