Mallards & a Mountain

The ducks have been hanging around the tide flats all winter here at Valdez but the Mallards are beginning to show up in much larger numbers. I caught this pair as they were flying by the still snow covered mountains. They were pretty far away so they’re small in the frame but I kind of liked the effect.

Sony a6500, FE200600G @ 600 mm, ISO-320, f/6.3, 1/4000, hand held. Slight crop for composition.

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Hi Gary, nice to get both ducks sharp in an image like this and I like seeing the head and wing color of the male. Interesting backdrop for this capture. A well done, unique image.

You have a unique perspective here on this image Gary. The exceedingly sharp mallards against the out of focus mountain are quite pleasant. Another fun to watch excursion. If I were going to do anything differently I would prefer to have the two mallards a little closer together and more towards the right side of the frame. I’m assuming you’ll have plenty of opportunities in the next few weeks.

Very good, Gary. Excellent sharpness in the Mallards and a great backdrop. I do agree with David that it would have been nice if they’d stayed a bit closer together.

@David_Schoen @Dennis_Plank I called them on my cell phone and told them to tighten up the formation but they didn’t recognize my authority and pretty much ignored me. I’ll have to have a talk with their squadron leader :wink:

Gary, as the others have said…stunning image with the mallards so sharp, and the contrast to the background snowy hillside. Next time they’ll listen to your cell phone command :smiley:

Nicely done. That snowy mountain in bg is a real eye catcher. Nice to see both with colors and nice full poses for you.