I believe it is not uncommon for photographers to head out, camera and gear at the ready, with hope and desire to capture that perfect image. I liken it to finding treasures. May 1, 2021 was such a day. I was out with an accomplished waterfowl specialist and general duck sleuth hoping for some potential Bird in Flight (BIF) compositions of waterfowl to fly by. (Check out my Wood Duck Gallery for some great BIF shots!) It was actually quite quiet, but the day was beautiful and the company very enjoyable.
We were standing on the bank of the lake quietly watching and waiting. The bank has some elevation with a little overhang to the water. Suddenly, my companion says in an excited whisper, ‘LOOK!’. I looked. And what I saw was absolutely adorable. A Mother Mallard and her precious newborn ducklings. Is there anything cuter than a duckling, or kitten . . . or puppy . . . aw, heck, all baby critters are adorable, aren’t they?
Capturing the moment
I was carrying my Nikon D850 and it was wearing the Nikon 300 Prime. As I had indicated, I was hoping for BIF images and I do fairly well with the glassy three hundred. I had to step back a bit as the restless Mother was too close to capture with the 300. I stepped back – a good thing as it bought me a bit more time – and managed to get several shots off. It was an exciting moment – like finding treasures.
My settings were 1/1600 second at f/7.1 with the 300 mm. I was shooting at ISO 1000. By the way, I have to give Kudos to the 300. It is a fantastic lens. Occasionally I couple it with a Nikon 1.4 Teleconverter II to get a little more reach. I notice very little drop in sharpness with the combination.
Amazing. This little cluster of feathers and fluff were literally right under our feet. “Hold fast, little ones.” That was the lesson Mother was teaching. Sometimes a duck can escape detection simply by doing nothing other than be a duck. Incredible creatures!
M R Ducks
Heard this one? Comes from a Duck Hunter’s poem:
M R Ducks
M R Not
OSAR
C M Wangs
LIB
M R Ducks!
Translation: Them are Ducks! Them are not. Oh yes they are! See them wings? Well, I’ll be, them are Ducks! (I guess that little ditty is celebrating 35 years now and you can even buy a t-shirt with M. R. Ducks emblazoned on the back.)
Well, M were Ducks! And I have a photo to prove it!
You just never know where you’ll be when finding treasures
Finding treasures in photography can be nothing more than just looking right in front of you. Study the moment. See the beauty in it. I have to admit, I like the photo but the best part of the day was the companionship! It was a fun day to share. Passing the passion of photo taking is a wonderful way to build connections with others. It’s all part of the recreation. If you are a photographer, you know this. If you wish to become a photographer, you have this to look forward to. Perhaps the greatest treasures to be found in photography – and in life – are the relationships we build. They are truly priceless.
I hope you enjoy this photo. Winter is coming and it was good for me to go back to a warm, summer day to relive a special moment in time. I wish for you to take the time for finding treasures in relationships this Holiday season. Peace.
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