A bit of light

Spending some time in Cleethorpes yesterday left us near the boating lakes with quite a nice variety of ducks down there.  I thought that I would have a go at photographing them.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite go to plan because as I was getting down to lie prone, the ducks turned and swam off...  I couldn't really follow with the camera in hand whilst laying prone.  I did get one shot of a Tufted Duck before I got down on the floor. Comparing it with the shot of the Mallard earlier in the year (again, I should have been lying prone) you can see the difference that the light has made to both the detail and the patterns on the water.

I think that the Tufted Duck shot needed more light on the side in which is closest to the audience and the lower angle was required to create some eye contact.  The Mallard shot I like but I think that I should have got on the floor to photograph the action.  Some may say that the bird drops out of focus but I prefer this as it concentrates the eyes on the head and the eye of the Mallard.

Interestingly, the Mallard was photographed in diffused light from the sun which I think has helped to show some of the detail on the head.  The Tufted Duck shot was taken with the sun straight at it about mid day and you can see that the light is not quite on the side of the face as said above.

I think that I should have binned the Tufted Duck shot but I converted it to B&W with selective colour control on the eye resulting in the bottom image.

Mallard Duck photographed in slightly diffused light


Tufted Duck photographed in harsher mid day light.


Post production can lead to some interesting effects such as this.

I hope that you like these images...

Matt

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