[Leica] IMG: Wood Duck

[wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (Doug Herr)]

Hugh Thompson wrote:

>Doug - I looked at them all, and don't find the background distracting  
>at all, even with the shot of the male in front and female, out of  
>focus behind.
>
>The ducks are pin sharp on the eyes, such beautiful colors
>
>Hugh
>
>
>On 5-Feb-10, at 12:13 AM, wildlightphoto at earthlink.net wrote:
>
>> male:
>> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/wodu03.html
>>
>> female:
>> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/wodu04.html
>

Thanks all for your comments!  Except for cloning out a reflection of 
another duck from one corner, the backgrounds are un-manipulated.

I asked about the backgrounds in particular because I had a discussion with 
SWMBO on this topic.  We agreed that the calmer, more subtle background of 
the second photo works better with the female duck's plumage but for the 
first photo one of us (I won't say who) would rather have had the background 
more like the second photo, while the other felt the brighter background was 
better for the male.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com