Female Mallard Duck

[Ollokot]

Hi Folks,
Your thoughts and comments as always most welcome,
Pat.

[Geoff F]

OK but I would crop away most/all of that bright green area at the top which is overwhelming your rather delicate main subject.

[Ziggy]

I agree about a crop. Maybe crop just below the green on the top and give him some space of the left.

You really have some great light on the bird and water.

[JBW]

how about a slightly different crop?

[deetheturk]

Nice capture Pat, I agree with Geoff's suggestion about the crop!

[IzzieK]

Nice edit of Brian...Peking Duck on the dinner table?

[Ollokot]

Thank you all for your thoughts and comments.

Pat

[John 2]

I agree about a crop. Maybe crop just below the green on the top and give him some space of the left.

You really have some great light on the bird and water.

+1 from me particularly the lighting. It's worth making more of.

[ied]

I like the lighting. Nice capture. I've yet to get one to stay
put long enough for me to compose and shoot. Many attempts
but no keepers.

Irene

[Saorsa]

The gradation of light is great and the movement in the water adds texture. The bright green is distracting given the tones of the rest of the image. I would crop even tighter. There is some nice detail in the back of the head that could be brought out. I brightened the whole image to see the detail but a more selective brightening of just that area would be better. Here is my rendition.

[Texas Dave]

I like the crop suggestions but I think Brian's suggestion on opening up the darks makes it a little to flat now for my taste and the dark really accentuates the beautiful glow on the neck. If anything I would of just opened up the iris of the eyes and the catch light there too.

Other than the crop I LOVE this photo! I think it's a wall hanger! Beautiful hues and subject matter. Great job Pat and I hope you don't mind my suggestions. Even looking at the full image and the crop versions I'm torn because it so nice to zoom in on the duck, yet the hues and richness of the environment makes it hard to hit the crop button.

Here's how it would look if you sent me the high res for my wall!

[Ollokot]

Once again thank you all for your comments, she was swimming towards me and I was waiting for her to get closer so that I could get the green out of the frame, then I noticed the Drake who was a good distance behind her turn back down stream and knew it was now or never as she would follow.

Pat

[Barbara Ponder]

Lovely shot and the crops make it even better!

[Wavelength]

What a beautiful image!!!!

[Saorsa]

I like the crop suggestions but I think Brian's suggestion on opening up the darks makes it a little to flat now for my taste and the dark really accentuates the beautiful glow on the neck. If anything I would of just opened up the iris of the eyes and the catch light there too.

Other than the crop I LOVE this photo! I think it's a wall hanger! Beautiful hues and subject matter. Great job Pat and I hope you don't mind my suggestions. Even looking at the full image and the crop versions I'm torn because it so nice to zoom in on the duck, yet the hues and richness of the environment makes it hard to hit the crop button.

Here's how it would look if you sent me the high res for my wall!

I wouldn't open up all of the dark areas. I just think there should be a little bit more separation between the background and the neck, head line. I did brighten the whole image which does flatten it but if you look at the one area there as a place for selective brightening I think you'll see what I'm trying to say.

At any rate, the final say on an image is the photographers or the buyers.