Mallard

On a relatively warm and sunny day during the winter, I photographed this Mallard in Peace Valley, my frequent haunt. I was trying to photograph some gulls overhead and walked over a creaky pier, awakening this mallard and its partner. Seeing it so close-by, I quickly switched subjects and got a few clear shots of it.

A Mallard @ Peace Valley | D7200, Nikkor 200-500mm | 1/640, f/5.6 @ ISO 180

Although it’s not an inspiring photo, the conditions at the time made this a good resolution test for my lens. The mallard is well lit, has a lot of contrast with brilliant colours – a capable lens should be able to nail the feather detail on it. I think the 200-500mm did quite well. For my composition, I wish I had gone lower for a a better perspective. For my exposure settings, As shot only rhe neck and head of the mallard are in focus.