Six days ago, while I was attempting to photograph rambunctious coots out in the middle of a pond, a drake Redhead came in right in front of me while he was repeatedly diving for food. I’ve posted photos of diving Redheads before but this guy was broadside to me in good light, he was close, I had a pretty low angle on him and I liked how the series of photos turned out so I decided to share them.
When photographing diving ducks you have to be quick on the trigger or you’ll miss the early stages of the dive. It helps if you’re familiar enough with their behavior to recognize the cues they give you of an imminent dive.
Many ducks pull their heads backward before diving but Redheads assume this blank stare forward just before they…
stretch their head and neck straight up. When I see the stare and neck stretch I know it’s time to fire off a burst.
Then they throw their head forward and…
down while they’re pushing their body forward with their webbed feet. In this shot we can’t see his feet but we see the “water well” beginning to form behind him that was caused by his feet pushing his body forward.
The composition of the rest of the shots in this series becomes increasingly wonky because when ducks are diving I always like to include the water well/water splash behind the bird.
The body of Redheads forms an arch as their heads enter the water. With some diving species the arch isn’t as exaggerated.
We get a look at his legs and feet for only an instant.
Surface tension and vacuum suck up a lot of water behind the bird.
At this point he’s going almost straight down.
Gone. It might seem a little silly to include a photo with no part of a bird clearly visible but I like to see the developing effects of the dive on the water to the very end.
Diving ducks are quite a ballet of the coordinated motion required to get such buoyant birds underwater and keep them there. When conditions are right and I have the opportunity, I’ll always attempt to photograph the process.
Ron
PS – It happened again.
In yesterday’s post I said it’s extremely “rare” for one of my photos, where the bird is fairly large in the frame, to have the position of the bird’s eye conform exactly to the “rule of thirds”.
But while I was processing photo #3 above I noticed that...
it happened again. The duck’s yellow eye is exactly at the intersection of two of the lines of the 3 x 3 grid of the rule of thirds. And I didn’t even try to place it there while I was cropping the photo. That’s just how it turned out.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t happen again for the rest of the year. Or longer.
I enjoyed this series very much and in trying to grasp everything you were saying I imagined the duck pushing his feet in the backward direction and the water depression behind him being caused by the recent absence of his body. Did I get that right?
“Did I get that right?”
Pretty much, Pat. The water hadn’t yet had time to flow in and fill the depression left by the rapidly accelerating duck.
I never knew all those mechanics of their dive – excellent photos and explanations. Thanks!
Thank you, Kent.
Fun series again and love that you are nailing the rule of thirds in the shoot.
“love that you are nailing the rule of thirds in the shoot”
It surprised me, April. Thanks.
So quick and SUCH a beautiful ballet. And of course the last shot belongs in the series. It wouldn’t be complete without it. Going, going, gone…
Thank you. Again.
Thank you, EC.
I too enjoyed every frame. Fascinating that you catch each series of movements. Fast shutter speed, good camera, skilled photographer. No offense to the bird, but how do you tell a blank stare from its usual stare?
Kathryn, I think of a blank stare as looking straight forward for longer than usual, seemingly at nothing at all.
Wow, 9/10ths of a second! So neat! I love his blank stare.
These ducks are a little bigger or about the same size as the Hoodies?
Carolyn, Redheads are significantly larger than Hoodies – 2.3 lbs. vs 1.4 lbs.
Fun and informative series, Ron. 🙂 One would never catch that detail just “watching” it happen!
Suspect the rule of thirds is somewhat ingrained in you at this point….. 😉
“Suspect the rule of thirds is somewhat ingrained in you at this point”
If not, it’s getting there Judy.
I am fascinated by your understanding of the bird’s postural “clues” leading up to the dive. As for composition, I think your visual INTUITION is highly developed after years of practice, and the “rule of thirds” is now only an intellectual checkpoint for what your eye and brain has already perceived……
Kris, if you watch them dive enough times you’d have to be pretty dense to not pick up on some of those “clues”.
And yes, an Intellectual checkpoint probably describes it pretty well.
Like Diane love every frame! Breaking down a 2 sec (?) action into frame by frame capture really allows us to appreciate the art of the dive – and the art of the photographer. Splendid!
Thanks, Kathleen. It actually only took less than 9/10ths of a second to take the series from beginning to end.
WOW!!!!!
That looks like a rifle sighting on the eye, but of course glad it is not. Excellent series. I often keep that last shot too of a diving duck. Sometimes what the water looks like post dive is interesting. I like the ducks such as the Redhead and Goldeneye that have such a bright visible eye. We always have the Redheads here, but I think it took me four or five years before I actually got a good shot of one.
Everett, I only see Redheads in winter.
Wonderful series! I think the thirds graph is burned into your brain!
Thanks, Brett, It might be… 🙂
Ron: Love the series of the redhead diving. Thank you.
But with respect top your rule of thirds shot, as you have stated, it is just a guide for good composition. You have a knack for good composition, so it does not surprise me that when you check with then rule of thirds, often you have met it.
“You have a knack for good composition.”
I’m glad to know you think so, Richard. I try.
Real time captured by the magic of photography. Much to enjoy here. Not only the bird, but the interplay of the bird with the water. For me there is no question about including the last photo.
Well done.
Thanks Michael, including for appreciating the birdless photo.
Fantastic series, Ron! Thanks for capturing what the eyes of a mere mortal may miss in real time. Enjoyed every frame!
“Enjoyed every frame.”
,
Much appreciated, Diane. We all miss a lot in real time, which is one of the many reasons I enjoy bird photography so much.