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True Colors


True Colors
Photo Information
Copyright: Pieter van der Horst (sAner) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-04-11
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 350D, Sigma AF 100-300/f4.0 EX APO, B+W 82mm UV-HAZE
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Ducks II, Photos with titles of songs, 50 - 60 points (chapter two) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-04-14 13:46
Viewed: 1676
Points: 51
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

This beautiful drake was taking a nap in the grass on the waterbank, near "Het Streekbos". The sun was already setting and that's why there was a beautiful light; it showed the drake's true colors. I have got a picture of him still napping and here he was looking at what that photographer was doing. He was winking his eye because he was looking straight into the sun. I hope you like it.

Mallard Duck ( Anas platyrhynchos )

The mallard is the most common duck in North America. It is easy to tell the males from the female mallards. Most male mallards have grayish or brownish feathers, a green colored head, and a purple breast. On the other hand, the female is only brown and white and is maller than the male. The length of the normal mallard is about 50-60 cm. ( 20.5 -28 in.). Mallards molt in late spring or early summer. The males molt earlier than the females.

Mallards are omnivores. They eat various seeds including corn, wheat, barley, bulrushes, wild rice, primrose, willow, seeds of water elm, oak, hackberry, trees of swamps or river bottoms. They will also eat mollusks, insects, small fish, tadpoles, freshwater snails, fish eggs, and frogs. They usually feed at the surface of the water and are known as "dabbling ducks". They don't dive all the way under the water, but just tip their heads under to feed.

To breed, the male attracts the female mate by ruffling his bright feathers. But the pair usually does not stay together for long. The male mallard, or drake, leaves the female when she begins incubation and forms a group with other males. Nine to thirteen eggs are laid at daily intervals. Incubation begins when the clutch is complete and lasts for 27 to 28 days. The ducklings all hatch within 24 hours, mostly during the day. Once they are hatched they are led to water. Mallards mature quickly and may breed under 12 months of age. Although mallard ducks have been known to live as long as sixteen years of age, most of them only live for one or two years.

During the summer, mallards spend much time asleep on water banks. The mallard has only three defenses- swimming, flying, and camouflage, and it is prey to large mammals. Mallards have no defense against humans who are their biggest enemy. Many are killed by oil spills and pesticides.

Info from: http://www.k12.de.us/warner/mallard.htm

Hit me where it hurts! I have got the right equipment now, so no need to be nice! I have no excuses whatsoever. Seriously: write what you think. I can use the lesson. Thank you!

Shutter Speed: 1/500
F-stop: f/6.3
Focal length: 300mm
Tripod: no
Flash: no
liquidsunshine, Fisher, elroyie, Janice, AndyB, gerhardt, hummingbird24, TAZ, red45, Luc, Callie, rlortie, dew77 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Callie: F-stopsAner 1 04-17 17:39
To Luc: DOFsAner 2 04-15 11:11
To gerhardt: Thanks!sAner 5 04-15 10:30
To ellis49: LenssAner 1 04-15 07:29
To flagman: Hee hee Mr G&W!sAner 1 04-15 07:28
To cafecrem: An invasion is coming!sAner 1 04-14 16:40
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Critiques [Translate]

Nice shot Pieter,
He looks very relaxed. You've got the exposure spot on.
Excellent detail, sharpness and colours.
Good title, Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2005-04-14 14:04]

Excelent capture and well done on the composition. The POV is great, I like the angle.

Mike

Beautiful song for a beautiful picture, good colours and very good exposure, maybe (I am not sure) more open frame would be better with your title.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2005-04-14 16:13]

Hey Pieter, yes, you've got the right equipment now. Nice too! Your Mr Duck's colours are stunning. So shiny and irridescent. Perhaps he is a little soft around the beak and eyes, but he's still very clear to see. I find it hard to get them all sharp all over. Well done!

Halo Pieter!
Another duck :-))))
But I thought ducks left TN!

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1391 W: 32 N: 1350] (3982)
  • [2005-04-14 16:45]

A very nice capture.
Excellent colours and composition.
He looks quite content,must be because its mating season!
Good work,well done.

Congrats on the new gear. Pragtige foto! The compo and sharpness is very well. The exposure maybe a bit over but not much and it's not distracting. Very well done, Pieter.

Daar sal seker nog vele goeie fotos kom. :)

When I can produce images this well, then I will be in a better position to look for any fault with this. For now, you will have to accept that to my eye he is beautiful, the composition is great. The colors, details, and POV are right on. Well done and thank you.

So you've depleted your bank ballance and shot a duck, well done. :)

This looks good to me, the POV and composition is different to the usual water shots of this species on TN. Maybe could have done with a little more DOF, but the colours are nice.

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-04-15 4:34]

Belle et intéressante composition photographique pour ce superbe canard. Jolies couleurs sur le plumage et bonne nettté grâce à la profondeur de champ bien adaptée.
Well Done !!

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2005-04-15 5:49]

New hardware and a...duck? ;-))) Nice one, sunny, colorfull. Slightly too shallow DOF IMHO.

Very good Pieter.
You must have a great lens ;-)
Good colours, details, composition and POV. IMO it could be a little sharper.
Very well done.

Pieter, Great title, song and photo. That's 3 for 3! I like the ground level POV, half-closed eyes and OFF BG that isolates your subject nicely. Very well done!

Bravo, Pieter, really eye-catching photo.
Composition 5/5
POV 5/5
DOF 4/5 - a little too short, the over-blurred background is distracting
Sharpness 5/5 - not as sharp as some we've seen but it looks REAL which is the most important thing. Over-sharpening looks impressive but can ruin an image.
Exposure 5/5

Improvements? I wonder if the eye would have come out better with a flash?
Larger DOF would definitely improve the photo.
Very nice, though.
I think a note about Mallards in Netherlands would have been better than one from North America! ;)
Andy.

  • Good 
  • olger Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 0 N: 138] (744)
  • [2005-04-15 7:21]

Je hebt weer een mooie plaat geschoten Pieter, leuk om te zien dat je weet te spelen met de scherptediepte.. Naar mijn idee precies goed! Ik had het persoonlijk leuker gevonden als de ogen verder open hadden gestaan, aan de andere kant lijkt het nu of hij aan het genieten is van de zon..

Groet,

Olger

A Cyndi Lauper fan eh?
A lovely shot, is he winking at you?
The colours are amazing, and you were lucky he didn't run away! Great background.
Thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1872 W: 304 N: 4301] (14733)
  • [2005-04-15 10:37]
  • [+]

Personal assessment of the photo: excellent.
Great visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
I like this photo very much, in particuliar for the DoF.
Thanks, Pieter.

Very good shot, great expresive pose.
Well done.
TFS.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2005-04-16 17:12]

Pieter, nice title (Janice has one with the same title too) in this great photo.

Excellent colors and composition. Pov and dof are great too.

Indeed, the colors are superb. Well done.

Hi Pieter
Nice pov and diagonal on this DD. Colours also very nice.
In line with your requset, looks at the detail on the feathers ons the bill - it "dissapears" because of the wide f-stop. It looks soft, although it is not really. Clone ont the white grass across his breast.
TFS

Hello Pieter, I like your Mallard. He has an attitude. Nice POV and and pose. I think the DOF is Ok for me. I like shallow DOF.
About flash: An external flash like the 420 EX or 580 EX would certainly reach the distance you mentioned and more. But not the built-in flash.
But I do not think this picture would benefit from it. It's ok without flash.

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-04-17 18:14]

Hi Pieter, this is a very nice capture excellent colours and composition. You did a great work !

Well done

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2005-04-18 8:30]

Wonderful pose Pieter.I think she was laughing.
Good details,composition and DOf.TFS...

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2005-04-18 20:54]

Wow, the color and sharpness are off the charts here. Very well done and thanks for posting.

Nice one Pieter. Very good POV. The sun was just in the right spot. It shows his coat of many colours perfectly. Crisp sharp details. Very good work. TFS

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