One very very important question I forgot to ask you (or rather, that you should ask yourself), is, "Are you happy with the photograph?"
If you are, that's the end of it. You took a photo of a duck, and there it is. If it's what you want to say, portrayed in the way you want it to be portrayed, there's no more discussion.
And, if you want all future duck or bird shots to look pretty much like that one, that's fine, too.
Again, I'm not being sarcastic or in any way demeaning or facetious. Unless one's a professional, the person you take photos for is yourself.
What others think isn't important, if you're satisfied. Here's a recent and quite relevent example:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2355277
I posted this last evening, along with a couple of other concert photos. I actually quite like this one. Each of the three or four people who commented on the trio of photos didn't care for this one. In fact, they were probably being polite (except Shel - he's not polite, just very honest, which is why his comments are worthy of consideration, at the very least): I think they really didn't like it at all! Don't bother me a bit, though, because it turned out pretty much the way I expected it to, and I'm satisfied with it. Can I improve on it? You bet! I intend to at the next concert. That's one of about 3 or 4 similar shots I took that evening, and IMHO, it's the best of the bunch (those are a pretty hit and miss sort of thing...).
So, while I'm interested in what they think, that they don't like it is just fine with me - in fact I expected that not many would be "into it". Fine.
Now, here's the thing: if you're not satisfied with your duck, or if you're satisfied, but maybe you think there are ways to improve similar shots in the future, that's why you post on PAW. To get the opinion of people on this list who may have lots of experience - which is not me, BTW, that's why I told you to go look at Mark Cassino's pix, and Shel sent you off to look at Doug Herr's stuff (he's not on this list, but is on a Leica list, IIRC). One thing about this list, is pretty much everyone's accessible. You like something that Mark (or anyone else) did? Ask 'em how they did it! Ask 'em how they get the light just right, why their shots are so damned sharp, how they get ducks to co-operate (I could be wrong, but throwing pebbles at them may not be the way to do it <vbg>). Honestly, no question is too basic or stupid. If you're shy, write them off-list. I've never been rebuffed by anyone I've written to off-list, and have in fact made many good friends here in just that way. Many of us correspond often off-list, so don't be shy.
I'm sorry to have gone on like this, but I recognize that you're new here, and I suspect that you may be relatively new to photography. I don't want to discourage you; quite the contrary!! I want you to be happy with photography. Some people here like the nuts and bolts of cameras, lenses, technology. Some like to take and discuss photographs. Some like both. Personally, I fall in the latter group. So, you post a PAW, I'll tell you what I think. I try to comment on all PAWs.
And, in closing, I should say that I know little about wildlife photography. That's why I sent you off to someone else's page to look around for ideas. Were I to try to take a pic of a duck, it would likely have looked pretty much like yours, but it might have been blurry and tilted a bit (to get that "edgy" urban look! <LOL>)
BTW, Shawn, welcome aboard (if I didn't say that already in another thread).
cheers, frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
From: "Shawn K." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: PAW - Some duck in the park Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 00:36:53 -0400
Yes, thank you for the lengthy and very informative response. Let me note
that I did say this: "Well, it's just
your average run of the mill duck in the grass" regarding the shot I posted.
So, I think my opinion of it is fairly clear. It's just some duck, at the
park, in the grass, being a duck. A very boring duck I might add, I watched
him for five minutes and he just sat there staring at me, so I threw a
pebble his direction to try and get some action, sadly, the act of throwing
a pebble and then recomposing and focusing with the Tak was too much for my
inexperienced hands, and so all the shots of the duck moving turned out
miserably out of focus or poorly composed. I mean really, when you get down
to it, it's the ducks fault for being so boring, I mean look at him, just
*look* at him, he was born boring and he'll die boring, darn boring duck...
;) So yes in general I agree with your comment wholeheartedly. I will
definitely look over that link you provided and see if I can't do better on
my next journey to wherever the wild-life is.
-Shawn
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