Arizona Photo: Northern Pintail Duck

This photo shows one of my favorite ducks, the Northern Pintail. This stylish creature sports finely tailored feathers that always remind me of a dapper tuxedo. Even its bill looks like shiny patent leather! This photo was captured at a fishing lagoon in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona, a popular winter destination for this migrating species. Captured in the late afternoon, the deep blue and gold reflections in the water add a beautiful backdrop to this handsome creature. Camera: Nikon D40, Nikon 55-200mm lens.

Painted Northern Pintail. Using a photo of a Northern Pintail Duck captured with my Nikon D40 and 55-200mm VR lens, I created a digital painting using tools found in Corel Painter Essentials and Fotosketch. I combined the painter effects created in both programs into one image, and generated a digital frame and mat in Fotosketch. Photo by Donald Peterson, Newark1 Web Design Portfolio.

American Bald Eagle Portrait. This portrait of a Bald Eagle was shot at the Albuquerque Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The photo was edited with digital painter effects for an oil-painting look. Original image was captured on film.

Northern Pintail Duck, Framed. This image shows a photo of a handsome Northern Pintail Duck with mat and frame. This image was shot in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona during the winter months when the Northern Pintails along with North American Wigeons and other species migrate to Phoenix for the winter. The frame was created using Fotosketcher, a paint and sketch effect software.

The iridescent colors of a beautiful Mallard Duck catches the sunlight in this photo from Papago Park, in Phoenix, Arizona. This photo was captured during a beautiful fall day on a fishing lagoon in Phoenix, Arizona’s Papago Park. To maximize the reflected color in both the duck’s feathers and the water, I shoot without a polarizer on the lens. I like to use the golden reflections in the water as part of the composition of the photo. I do miss the pleasant evenings spent photographing waterfowl in Papago Park!

Northern Pintail Duck in Wetlands. This handsome male Northern Pintail Duck (Anas Acuta) dabbles in the wetlands of Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona. This popular winter home for Northern Pintails also has American Wigeon and other species as annual visitors. The Northern Pintail is a highly gregarious duck and will form large mixed flocks with other species of duck. This photo was captured with a Nikon D40, and Nikon 55-200mm VR lens on a winter afternoon.

Photo by Donald Peterson, Affordable Web Design & Development. Visit Our Portfolio!

American Wigeon on Blue Lagoon. I never thought much about ducks living in New York City. However, living in Phoenix, Arizona and coming in contact with the migrating ducks that winter in Phoenix changed all that. It gave me the opportunity to learn more about the breathtaking variety in ducks and their beauty. This American Wigeon was photographed in the hour before sunset in one of the fishing lagoons in Papago Park. The winter light, especially during the “golden hour” is perfect for duck photography.

Camera: Nikon D40, ISO 400, Nikon 55-200mm VR lens, F:8, Aperture Priority (no polariser).

Ringed Neck Duck on Blue Lagoon. Here is another winter resident of the fishing lagoons in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona. The Ringed Neck Duck joins a number of other migrating species that enjoy the mild winters in Phoenix, Arizona. We humans should have life so easy! This photo was captured in near sunset light during December. Camera: Nikon D40, Nikon 55-200mm VR lens, ISO 400, F:9, handheld.

Mallard on Blue Lagoon. As I continue to develop as a photographer, I gain more appreciation for the amazing qualities of natural light. It can transform the most mundane subject into a work of art. In this photo, I waited for the pre-sundown light that adorns the fishing lagoons in Papago Park during the winter in Phoenix, Arizona. Because the winter sun stays low in the sky, the light tends to be warmer and more colorful as it filter through more of the atmosphere. Here, it takes a common Mallard, and a man-made fishing lagoon and transform both with rich gold and blue tones. Everyday does not bring this sort of light. But when it does come, grab your camera. Almost any subject will look wonderful in this sort of light!

Camera: Nikon D40, ISO 400, Nikon 55-200mm VR lens (handheld) F:8, raw image converted with Scarab Darkroom.

White Pekin Duck. As this photo of a White Pekin Duck aptly demonstrates, photography is all about capturing beautiful light! Shot in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona, this beautifully posed duck was framed in the light of a late winter day. The sun was casting a ray of light that illuminated the duck’s head and created a warm glow on the lagoon’s surface. What beautiful light it was!

Photo by Donald Peterson, Newark1 Web Design Portfolio, professional blog and web design services.