Wood Duck drakeWood Duck drake – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 330mm, natural light

Just a simple Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) drake image today. I found this handsome bird chasing around mallards on Lake Seminole , he was acting territorial. I have found Wood Ducks to be a challenge to photograph because of the high contrast in their plumage coloring. I want visible detail in the blacks and the whites plus the darks need to be light enough to show the iridescence blues, greens, purples, golds and aqua. When I photographed this Wood Duck drake I remember wishing that we had high thin clouds to diffuse the sunlight a bit. It still worked out okay though.

Life is good.

Mia

*I am away from home, please feel free to share with your family & friends!