Rainbow

[Downrigger]

Trying to think of a novel term of praise. How about "real purty"?
Reminds me of, and exemplifies a lesson I keep trying to learn that one never regrets shooting closer to the subject. If I learn that lesson - I'll do much less cropping in PP and have more information with which to try to make great images like this one.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Mark.

Read here somewhere - get close, keep simple. Very hard to follow though.

[IzzieK]

He is extraordinarily beautiful! I said it Izzie. that's a masterpiece Bobo! Cant wait for more.

Thanks James...I must remember this now everytime I see that rainbow bird.

[IzzieK]

Thanks Frank. All I can say is we shall see.... It is frustrating atm, the dang cold is so cold that... $#W@^%^

Thanks James. Glad you like it.

For someone who lives near the end of the world so to speak, at 16 degs F you folks should be having a Bar-B in your backyard...

[jprzybyla]

Hey Bobo, nice Mandarin Duck. If mine I would back off the saturation especially on the bill.

Nancy, if you want to see and photograph on go to Lake Mirror in the center of Lakeland, Florida. There are two pairs in that lake, I photographed them just last week.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Joe. Good point, I will.

Isabel - today we are looking at -25 to -35. Murder if there is even a slight wind.

[Bobobird]

@Joe.

Done. Placed below original for easier viewing. Thanks for suggestion.

[jprzybyla]

Bobo, I think you can still back the saturation off more. The bird is colorful but not as saturated as you are showing. Look at the bill and use that as a guide. Here is the one I captured recently to use as a guide.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Joe. v3 posted. Better?

Lovely in the water shot you have there. Perhaps ours decided to move back to where he came from and ended up in your pond.

[Wavelength]

Such a beauty...such a beauty !!!!

[jprzybyla]

Much better...

[Bobobird]

Thanks Joe, appreciate the assistance.

Nandakumar - I presume you are referring to Joe's shot. Yes it is great.

[jprzybyla]

Bobo, I find that working processing color images (especially images like the Mandarin Duck) I build up a tolerance for color like a drug addict does to hard drugs. It's like I know the bird is very colorful how did I see it, memory tricks us. What I do is process the image then put it away overnight, look at it again in the morning and most times my first impression is correct. To confirm that I research the bird on the internet looking at how other photographers have captured and shown the bird, and lastly the bird books and guides to get the color correct.

[jamn4ex]

now that I see Joes superb shot ,I really like your 3rd version Bobo I am glad that collectively you two were able to get it right .Its still a magnificent shot.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Joe, I do that all the time to remove the "emotional" attachment. But sometimes it is not easy especially with that kind of colour range staring at you.

Thanks James. v3 would represent more or less what he actually looks like. v1 - is the "artsy" representation. Mind you apart from the colours, there is nothing that makes the shot, if any other bird it could actually come across as a poor shot.