{"id":109055,"date":"2022-03-23T04:56:08","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T10:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=109055"},"modified":"2022-03-23T06:05:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T12:05:27","slug":"northern-shoveler-takeoff-and-flight-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/23\/northern-shoveler-takeoff-and-flight-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Shoveler Takeoff And Flight Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photographing ‘puddle ducks’ exploding off the water is always a challenge.<\/p>\n

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1\/6400, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

Yesterday morning at Bear River MBR this male Northern Shoveler was at just about the right distance from me for takeoff shots so that was my goal.<\/p>\n

When photographing ducks taking off it helps to know if they’re puddle ducks or diving ducks because that little bit of knowledge makes it easier to keep them in the frame. Diving ducks have to run horizontally across the water to build up speed to take off but puddle ducks spring directly into the air instead of pattering across the water. So with puddle ducks like Northern Shovelers it’s easy to not leave enough room for them at the top of the frame as they gain elevation.<\/p>\n

This guy surprised me a little. This first photo was taken at the end of a rouse when he rose up off the water to shake his body so in this shot he’s settling back down into the water. Normally I wouldn’t expect him to take off immediately after a rouse.<\/p>\n

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1\/6400, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

But that’s exactly what he did so I was a nanosecond slow on the trigger to get him before he completely left the water. I’ve cropped this photo to include the water splash he left behind.<\/p>\n

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1\/6400, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

Except for the curve of his wingtips the next shot in the burst caught him in a flight posture similar to the one in the previous photo.<\/p>\n

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1\/6400, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

Two shots in the burst later I finally captured him with his wings up. Wouldn’t you know, there’s a couple of photobombing coots at the top of the frame. I could have erased them from existence but chose not to.<\/p>\n

I got other photos of him after this one but guess what? I didn’t leave enough room at the top of the frame for a composition that works for me so I’m not including them. At the time I was thinking more about the idiosyncrasies of my new camera than I was about him being a puddle duck that would jump directly into the air instead of running across the water’s surface.<\/p>\n

I need to practice what I preach.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photographing ‘puddle ducks’ exploding off the water is always a challenge. (4 photos)<\/p>\n

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