Falling Light

[Martin Fisher]

Hey Folks, new guy here. Hope alls well your way..
Just recently found a canal containing some wood ducks. By chance it runs eat to west and the falling sun lines up about perfect. Dressed in camp, not fooling ducks for a minute, I was able to slip down on one side of the canal. back up under some hanging branches and wild vines to capture a few of these ducks swimming along. I always love to get down on my subjects level, and normally always shoot ducks with the sun to my back, but this was just to good to pass up. The ducks moved in and out of the light, sometimes only they were illuminated. Captured images from 15 to 50 feet from my location. Hopefully I can post a few images, it's not everyday you get just the right lighting conditions or a chance to get this close to the ducks. I scared more than a few when the either saw me or heard the camera click, not to mention a few that darn near landed on me.

[Wavelength]

Hi, Lovely birds and images. I feel the roofs a bit too low; of course, giving more space above can bring birds to dead middle too; even then some more space above is needed, i feel

[Martin Fisher]

Hey Nandakumar, thanks for commenting. My purpose for this is to be down on the ducks level so I purposely have the water lead into the subject. I'm also shooting in close quarters with terrible backgrounds behind this specific subject. I do have other shots further down the canal with better backgrounds and do show more of the environment when pleasant.

[Wavelength]

Welcome to forum activities

[NorthernFocus]

Welcome to CiC, Martin. Nice to have another wildlife shooter. We seem to be down on numbers recently.

You found a gem of a spot there. The first image with the woody well lit and everything else in shadow is wonderful. Love that type of lighting. I get what you're saying about placing the duck above center to give a sense of the expanse of water. However IMO it has the opposite of your intended effect. The more OOF water in the FG the higher the perspective seems. Though sometimes the reflection can/should dictate how the FG is handled. At least from my perception. I do shoot a lot of stuff on water. The horizon is the best reference for giving a sense of camera position relative to the subject. Again, my opinion as a viewer. It is purely a matter of taste and if you're happy with it carry on.

[Shadowman]

Nice shot.

[Martin Fisher]

Hi Dan,
I checked your images out on the site and see that your very active shooting wildlife. Very nice captures. I see you also get down on your subjects level which many in the hobby seem to loose out on. It gives a totally different perspective. I'm happy if your happy that I'm happy with my perspective. I was sitting down in the water up to my shoulders under some hanging branches to conceal myself. Even without cropping I have this low, long stretch to the ducks. I appreciate and value your opinion as I can see you more than accomplished in the art of shooting wildlife. In viewing your images, I see you shoot owls as well and I'm looking forward to sharing some Burrowing Owl images with you, also taken at a very low perspective. Hopefully I fit in around here, Martin

[Martin Fisher]

Thanks for coming out of the shadows John..