gessman Loc: Colorado

Here's some more bird shots I'd like you to criticize for me. I don't think they'll need any introduction. The first one is one of the reasons that I am not enthralled with artificial or PS selective color. Selective color occurs naturally on occasion and when it does it is usually pretty striking. I am not a fan of artificial selective color and think it merely robs naturally occurring selective color of its impact, but that's just me. Your mileage may vary. :)

The second is of a pair of Golden Eye ducks. They had been swimming along side by side and I waited 'til they started to swim apart so I could catch them perfectly within the Rule of 2/3rds or am I allowed to do that or is it even possible. It looks like it to me. :)

The last one is obviously a "light of the moon" shot.

SJD Loc: Colorado

Now that is a great Duck post! Even the light of the Moon Shot is great!. You ever venture out to the Platte River? This time of year the Northern Pintails should be there. They are beautiful! Hooded Mergansers and Shovelers hang out there also.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Thank you. I have, in the past, spent some time at the Platte. I used to float it in a 2-man, camera in hand and got some nice water level shots. I've even caught a few Wood Ducks but rarely. I got a shot of a 'Hoodie' with a little trout in his mouth at one of the ponds beside the Platte just off of 470 & Santa Fe but I was using the 400 (your Hubble, my bazooka) with a 1.4x on a 20D 8 mpx crop sensor and wasn't very steady. The attached version is a much handled copy. The original looks a little better than this one, if only I knew where it was - which cd/dvd/blu ray. He was on the opposite of the pond and I just didn't have enough reach. I've been having an urge to go back there lately. Might do that soon.

SJD Loc: Colorado

WOW!! Lucky you. I don't understand all the tech stuff you typed. I use my Hubble that's it then crop and edit later. So do you know where the Buffle Heads hang out? My husband (Ken) is dying for a shot of one. Is it alright if I post a snap of my Wood ducks on this post/thread?

gessman Loc: Colorado

I would have felt a little luckier if I had gotten a better shot of it. "Tech stuff" - the 400 5.6 with a 1.4x tele extender on a Canon EOS 20D 8 megapixel body with the 1.6 crop sensor. It gave me more lens than I could keep steady on that day.

Buffle Heads - I've seen them in those ponds along C-470 off Santa fe and also in another place or two but I don't know what their schedule is coming through here. Guess I could Google it and get close. I got this one the same day as the Hoodie.

Sure - post whatever you want. You have some excellent shots and I'd like to see them. Maybe later you might want to start a thread so they will get the attention they deserve. Bring 'em on. :-)

gayellen Loc: Arkansas

Guessman wow.. love all of them... I am not experienced enough to critique, but to my eye you "done great"..

SJD Loc: Colorado

I think we are close to the Buffle head Season? Cool shot better than I have had to date. I think it may be time to wonder over to the C-470 spot and take a look around. I have been posting shots since I started at the beginning of the
week give or take a day? Have you tried Barr Lake for photographing Eagles? I hear it is a popular spot for them. Also supposed to be over 300 species of birds there in the height of Spring.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Thanks gayellen. They're not quality shots but work for demo purposes.

gessman Loc: Colorado

I have been to Barr Lake - several years ago. There was word of a nesting pair of eagles so I went only to find that the eagles were so far away you had to use a telescope or very strong binoculars just to see them, which I did, me an that other 100 or so people, and I haven't been back since. I have a problem walking very far so I have to pick and choose pretty keenly.