Mallard Duck
This photo shows a handsome Mallard Duck near a fishing lagoon in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona. This photo was shot in the early morning when the ducks, used to being fed, tend to be less skittish. To capture the duck from this low angle I had to lie prone on the ground and keep my lens at the same level as the duck. This also make you appear less intimidating to ducks and get closer. This is the way pros often shoot, and it creates a much more intimate portrait of small creatures. Needless to say, this is one of my favorite photos of a Mallard. This was captured with a 40-year-old 200mm F4 Takumar (Pentax) lens mated to my Pentax *istDS DSLR. I must say that the image quality is impeccable on this old lens!
I later tried my hand at creating a watercolor painting effect from this Mallard Duck photograph using the free software Fotosketcher. Photo by Donald Peterson.
