'Lift Off'! (Best Viewed 'Larger')

Incredible shot! Congrats. Love the focus, details and natural looking color. Guess who is coming to get some lessons? 

Len,

This is an awesome shot and a great capture.  Lots of detail in larger view and I especially love all the water drops you were able to capture.  I have been trying to shoot ducks in flight for years but have never come close to anything this good.  Well done.

Hi Len,

  Wow ...amazing action shot with beautiful colors & details.  Take care, Patsy

Now, don't give me that old "just lucky" line again.  This is superb timing, exposure and perfect selection of shutter speed.  Good stuff... Mike

If you ever get to Barrie give me a heads-up email & I'll take you to a couple of my favourite haunts where everyone comes back with 'keeper' shot.  :-)  Thanks for your endorsement on this, one of my half dozen or so 'keepers' from a recent shoot.  The ducks and my AF were very cooperative that day.  Love it when a plan comes together.  Best, Len

Good to get your take on this offering.  I was at the right place at the right time.  In spite of turning my head left to right & back frequently I missed many shots of the ducks taking off & landing.  Ever try to read a duck's body language to guess when he's about to fly?  Most times he's just stretching & ruffling his feathers. (sometime producing a decent shot of wings extended)  The landings are easier if  you happen to see them coming in.  Don't be a stranger!  Best, Len.

As with this shot, overcast conditions provide ideal light for detail in the shadow areas but some strong back light would be more helpful in separating bird & splash from the background, but we can't have it all.  Do the best you can with the conditions prevailing at the time.  Thanks for your visit & comment.  Best, Len.

:-)  I guess there's a certain amount of luck with any shot but I will take credit for being ready with the right gear & for paying attention.  Never fails, been waiting with rapt attention for 15 min., no action, pause to contemplate the condition of my shoelaces for 4 seconds, & splash!, a take off or landing missed!  But over a 2 hr period I generally get my share of frames though with a high percentage of rejects.  Example:  half a dozen keepers from this, a 200 frame shoot.  If I'm lucky (there it is again!) the auto focus will do it's job & I get a burst of 2 to 4 shots before the bird is out of range. If not, I get 2-4 out of focus shots, sharp background though.    :-(  Thanks for your continued interest.  Best, Len.

I can see why you would be pleased with this one, the light, sharpness and level of detail are all beautifully captured. The high ISO and consequential shutter speed has done a great job in freezing the action, and oh yes of course you were paying attention too : - ) 

Well done Len! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

Good to get your perspective on this offering.  Anticipating when these guys were about to take off required constant attention to their body language.  With many ducks in the pond trying to figure out which was the next one to attempt to get airborne was a challenge.  I often had my lens pointed in one direction only to hear a splashing sound coming from the other direction.  Of course the beggar was in the air before I could frame it & allow the auto focus, at half-press,  to do it's job before the shutter release was pressed fully home.  A keeper rate of 3 or 4 percent is about par for (my) the course.  See my dialogue with Mike, above, on the 'luck' element.  Best, Len.