63
Votes
Charles Mcdonald's picture

Hooded Merganser

Canon 7D
300mm · f/6.3 · 1/250s · ISO 400
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7 Comments

beautiful work. I just threw away all my merganser shots. Ha! How incredible sharp for 250 at 300mm. Love everything about this image.

Ha! That's quite a compliment! Thank you!
One thing that I like to use with birds that are very weary of humans is I had a military camo net that I have used attached treated grass that I got from a hunting store. I throw my 'grass blanket' over a small kids play tent and place it in the natural grass.. It had been very effective.

great idea for a portable blind. Mergansers are only here in South Carolina for a few weeks in the winter, but I love the little guys. Again, a fantastic shot. Did you alter the background color temp to match the lower rear body, or was that just excellent composition?

It is a narrow section of the pond and the dried reeds along the shore are the cause of the coloration.
I think I actually spend as much time considering my backgrounds as anything else.. It can be amazing what a slight change of angle can do for a background, though the past couple of years here I have been selecting a location based solely on the background and then being patient enough for shot. I use a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 which creates a fantastic creamy background.
My Horned Grebe that is also in my portfolio here was also taken at the exact same location but under different lighting conditions.

Amazing - I need bigger glass!

A beautiful shot

Charles, stunning image