Posted By: Blue Moon
Blue Moon’s Bufflehead and Canvasback Shots - 01/07/16 08:56 PM
Buffleheads are North America’s smallest diving duck; similar in size to a Green-winged Teal. The ancients called Buffleheads Spirit Ducks for their mystical ability to disappear just as you pull the trigger. Besides diving, they launch into flight with fewer steps compared to other divers.
From a photography standpoint, size, speed and ultrafast wingbeats make the Bufflehead one of the most challenging ducks to capture in flight. While I shoot with both a Canon and Benelli, I know firsthand that all ducks are significantly easier to shoot with my Benelli. On the other hand, just about any flight shots of Buffleheads are trophies for wildlife photographers. Female Buffleheads are smaller and darker with less white war paint on their cheeks compared to drakes.
If hunters or photographers are looking up, they often miss approaching Bufflehead. These tiny ducks tend to fly in low, right on the deck low, and wicked fast. The inbound drakes have fat white bellies. They remind me of playing baseball and look like low fast balls hurling toward the plate.
Drakes appear white and black in overcast or indirect light conditions but close-up shots captured in direct light reveal the drakes’ iridescent purple and green forehead and throat feathers. These shots were captured in January 2016, along the Central Flyway in North Texas.
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Over the Christmas holiday, on a dark, overcast day in Oklahoma, I managed a few Canvasback shots.
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As the most common duck in North America, I tend to shoot a lot of drake mallard landing shots. Just like hunting, the trick to getting a good shot is to understand the role the wind and sun play on the outcome. Besides setting up for great light, my goal is to capture wing motion but I also want sharp bills and eyes. After thousands of mallard shots, having a goal in mind keeps the thrill in the chase. Drake Mallard landing in twilight; Central Flyway, Christmas holidays 2015.
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I’m not a fan of overly processed images with unnatural, oversaturated colors. On the other hand sometimes the sunrise is dreamlike when the first rays of light chase the night away. This was the 2015 winter solstice sunrise over secluded water a few weeks ago.
Blue Moon
From a photography standpoint, size, speed and ultrafast wingbeats make the Bufflehead one of the most challenging ducks to capture in flight. While I shoot with both a Canon and Benelli, I know firsthand that all ducks are significantly easier to shoot with my Benelli. On the other hand, just about any flight shots of Buffleheads are trophies for wildlife photographers. Female Buffleheads are smaller and darker with less white war paint on their cheeks compared to drakes.
If hunters or photographers are looking up, they often miss approaching Bufflehead. These tiny ducks tend to fly in low, right on the deck low, and wicked fast. The inbound drakes have fat white bellies. They remind me of playing baseball and look like low fast balls hurling toward the plate.
Drakes appear white and black in overcast or indirect light conditions but close-up shots captured in direct light reveal the drakes’ iridescent purple and green forehead and throat feathers. These shots were captured in January 2016, along the Central Flyway in North Texas.
__________________________
Over the Christmas holiday, on a dark, overcast day in Oklahoma, I managed a few Canvasback shots.
__________________________
As the most common duck in North America, I tend to shoot a lot of drake mallard landing shots. Just like hunting, the trick to getting a good shot is to understand the role the wind and sun play on the outcome. Besides setting up for great light, my goal is to capture wing motion but I also want sharp bills and eyes. After thousands of mallard shots, having a goal in mind keeps the thrill in the chase. Drake Mallard landing in twilight; Central Flyway, Christmas holidays 2015.
__________________________
I’m not a fan of overly processed images with unnatural, oversaturated colors. On the other hand sometimes the sunrise is dreamlike when the first rays of light chase the night away. This was the 2015 winter solstice sunrise over secluded water a few weeks ago.
Blue Moon
