Well, gessman, I think you succeeded nicely, and I think that tension helps to make this image for me; I think I prefer it the way it is because it is moving. If it was just swimming, I don't think I would like it, but this works for me. The goose, on the other hand, not so much.

Thank you. I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy this thread. The merganser is an in camera crop. I didn't take anything off and shot it that way on purpose. I'd have to clone in more water in front and above her which will what, change the perspective and push back and diminish my attempt to get as much of the action in the frame as possible. I guess enough to back her up. How far? ...to the rule of 3rds point on the still short side of the pic? If you have the time, please pull it in and show me what you have in mind and put it back out here. I would sincerely appreciate it. There's violence connected with their landing and I was hoping to convey that they pretty much land out of control and nearly run off the end of the landing strip. I guess I missed.

Hey folks, if I'm over-working ya and need to slow down or give it a break, please let me know. I have wrestled with these two shots and whether I should like 'em or not. this first shot is a little less complicated than the other one, I think, so I'll get it out of the way first.

This female common Merganser is coming in for a landing and has just skidded a little on the surface of the water and then slowed down but hasn't yet settled onto the water's surface. Is this a case where it is prudent and acceptable to show a moving subject as moving out of the image rather than into it?

The Canada Goose is in a extraordinarily colorful state in some surreal looking water. Digital sometimes does some real goofy stuff like this when the light is hitting it just right. Is this "too" much or can it get away with being called "natural?"

1. Things might be better if I were to always follow the rules but my problem with that is that I tend to shoot things that move and moving things don't always understand "the rules." When I morph into Dr. Doolittle, maybe things'll change for the good.

2. Thank you, profusely!

3. "Can...should," that's right. No reason to start now. :-)

4. Over-cooked goose. Never a fav of mine. As I said earlier, I don't recall cooking this one at all. I don't cook every shot. Some actually stand alone as created. I do have the "highest quality" settings on my camera cranked way up an now and then on occasion everything comes together, light, angle, exposure, etc., and causes an overkill. I don't shoot raw generally, simply .jpg and don't spend a lot of time post processing. I have a version of PS Elements Ver 2, that came with my last camera several years ago, and it doesn't have all the tools the current ver has, what ver 9 we're up to now so I can't do some things and don't want to do others. Haven't, for instance, done "layers" as of yet. I'm just a loose cannon out there firing away and trying to remember everything I've read while my goose is floating out of range. Spontaneous, I think they call that.

5. I love Mergansers, especially the female and that red head.

6. They're not tumblers as such but they have extremely short wings, comparatively, and bigger bodies and fly very fast with a high wing flap rev. They're far from graceful and it would seem as though it is an extreme effort for them to even fly in the first place. When they come in to land they toss their bodies into a controlled slide. I would bet that if they did the same on land they would tumble but I've never seen one of them on land. I don't think they spend much time out of the water. I've included a couple of shots of three males taking off, not for critique but to show the other half. They're really fast and hard to catch. I've yet to get a male taking off, flying, or landing that I'm happy with. These were shot with my older EOS 20D, 8 mpx, and 400 non IS lens, hand held. The last of these three pics is the redhead landing again. I was in burst mode and as she slid through the frame I got several shots. I just happen to prefer the first one I posted because I thought it best represented the action of the bird landing.

7. I like your profile pic, a lot. Let's see, I'm in here to critique and be critiqued, right. Your profile pic, I don't think a little more skin would be offensive, at all, and... :twisted:

IDK...made me kinda wonder what was coming up behind him...tho I do agree that there could be just a little more water in front of him...but if it isn't there it just isnt there huh? I don't know anything about edge extensions, haven't moved into that yet. I do agree that the white in the 2nd shot is too white...at least for my taste....but the Canadian Geese are so regal appearing...!I like your photos and the way you kinda challange others to think and apply it to their own work...Linda