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Silent Night (Feliz Naviduck)
1st PlaceSilent Night (Feliz Naviduck)
vawendy


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Holiday Decorations II (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: 2013 Challenge shots
Date: Dec 19, 2013
Date Uploaded: Dec 19, 2013

 So -- I've done this one before. I



My neighbors down the street put this out on the point of a pond. And it sits, all by itself.

It's wonderful!

I went a little before sunrise to get the shot, and wasn't liking it. And as the sun rose, it started to show the reflections of the trees in the pond.

All of the sudden, I saw a speck in the middle of the reflection!! I was so excited!! It was too dark at that point to see the duck before hand, I had no idea he was there before he showed up in the reflection.

I was bracketing, and two of the shots in the bracket were longerish exposures, so I kept thinking "don't be blurry, don't be blurry!" all the way home. :)

Thanks for all the incredible comments!! I'm so glad you liked it. I thought it was something special.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 47
Avg (all users): 7.6901
Avg (commenters): 8.6250
Avg (participants): 7.9167
Avg (non-participants): 7.5745
Views since voting: 3134
Views during voting: 197
Votes: 71
Comments: 57
Favorites: 6 (view)

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AuthorThread
 01/01/2014 08:37:16 PM
Congrats! So simple, so powerful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/30/2013 12:10:51 PM
Originally posted by hahn23:
Congrats, vawendy, on your blue ribbon. While it's hard to say for sure the id of the waterfowl, my best guess, based on silhouette would be a Common Loon.

In Florida we have grebes that look like this. They are diving birds. Their range extends up to VA, so perhaps that's what you caught. Anyway, what I really wanted to say is this is a stunningly beautiful image. So peaceful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/29/2013 11:01:43 AM
Congratulations! This was my favorite in the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/29/2013 10:28:11 AM
Stunning - as is your framing. You really know how to get maximum impact from a shot. Congratulations on the blue, Wendy.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/29/2013 02:35:52 AM
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by vawendy:


I only used one of the three exposures in this image. The bracketing was because I was unsure of what exposure I would need.


typed by Jeff since Wendy is making lefse!


Just learned something new - never heard of lefse before. By the looks of the recipe, it sounds like a tricky thing to make, but "reads" delicious :-). Off to make a common omlett for my husband's breakfast with home eggs.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/29/2013 02:32:42 AM
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by kasaba:
although I have no idea what "time" this translates into for you :-).


Got there about 6:15 and the shot was taken at about 6:50.


Well, that's not so bad. Around here it would have been well before 4 am :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2013 10:41:30 PM
Congratulations on taking the blue with this beautiful image. It's a bit of understated fireworks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2013 08:51:54 AM
Congratulations on the blue! Refreshing to see something so simple, so beautiful and original.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2013 12:00:36 AM
Serendipity. Nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 04:43:28 PM
So beautiful. Congratulations and a very good title as well
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 04:43:27 PM
So beautiful. Congratulations and a very good title as well
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 04:42:12 PM
Oh! THIS IS STUNNING, Wendy!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 01:00:05 PM
Originally posted by kasaba:
although I have no idea what "time" this translates into for you :-).


Got there about 6:15 and the shot was taken at about 6:50.
12/27/2013 12:57:42 PM
Originally posted by hahn23:
While it's hard to say for sure the id of the waterfowl, my best guess, based on silhouette would be a Common Loon.


We've never seen loons in our ponds, even though they winter in the tidewater region. It is probably a smaller than a loon or a cormorant, but was a kind of diving duck. It popped up in the reflection and dove again quickly. It was only in 3 frames before it dove.
 12/27/2013 12:51:31 PM
Originally posted by vawendy:


I only used one of the three exposures in this image. The bracketing was because I was unsure of what exposure I would need.


typed by Jeff since Wendy is making lefse!

Message edited by author 2013-12-27 12:51:57.
 12/27/2013 12:48:25 PM
Originally posted by gyaban:
Originally posted by Venser:
if the duck was traversing the scene and in a different location for each exposure, I don't see how this can't get DQ'ed given the precedence set before it.


The submitted image is probably the result of only one of the three shots (at least it seems perfectly doable, editing-wise), in which case there shouldn't be any problem with validation.


I only used one of the three exposures in this image. The bracketing was because I was unsure of what exposure I would need.
12/27/2013 11:46:03 AM
Originally posted by Venser:
if the duck was traversing the scene and in a different location for each exposure, I don't see how this can't get DQ'ed given the precedence set before it.


The submitted image is probably the result of only one of the three shots (at least it seems perfectly doable, editing-wise), in which case there shouldn't be any problem with validation.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 11:42:59 AM
Congrats, vawendy, on your blue ribbon. While it's hard to say for sure the id of the waterfowl, my best guess, based on silhouette would be a Common Loon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 09:54:01 AM
Originally posted by vawendy:
I was bracketing, and two of the shots in the bracket were longerish exposures, so I kept thinking "don't be blurry, don't be blurry!" all the way home. :)
Does that mean the duck wasn't in all three exposures? Or at least in the same spot?

Reminds me of this shot:


Your entry was my only ten of the challenge, but if the duck was traversing the scene and in a different location for each exposure, I don't see how this can't get DQ'ed given the precedence set before it. Without the duck in that exact location, I would have given this a four or five at best.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 09:33:56 AM
Another weekly top (3) finish for Wendy. Congrats. BTW do you give photography lessons? (smile)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 09:20:15 AM
The reflections are spectacular. Congratulations on a wonderful image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 08:35:50 AM
Really beautiful and so unexpected. HO HO HO
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 08:21:48 AM
That duck was worth 1.5628.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 08:20:33 AM
Keep trying and you shall ribbon. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 07:39:44 AM
Special indeed! Congratulations
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 07:35:40 AM
Congratulations, Wendy!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 06:12:13 AM
What a wonderful shot. I love the processing as well! Congratulations on your much deserved ribbon :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 03:49:39 AM
Not a squirrel but the Naviduck made me smile :) Congrats Wendy
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 03:36:48 AM
Congrats Wendy this soon deserved the blue! Gooooo Wendy u r on a roll!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 02:30:11 AM
A very well deserved win, so beautiful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 02:07:40 AM
Your neighbors. You chose well.

Congrats on the blue for this truly special image. I love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 02:00:21 AM
Congratulations, W. I didn't look at this challenge, but you gave it some Zing, and some exceptional 'Awwww!' as well. Your titular pun is simply disgraceful. The best kind. Thank you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 01:43:48 AM
Fantastic. So pleased that this won! Well done and congratulations on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 12:54:23 AM
Fantastic, what a great picture. well worth the effort getting up before dawn, although I have no idea what "time" this translates into for you :-).
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 12:08:45 AM
Marvelous image Wendy!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 12:07:34 AM
Wonderful catch! Congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 12:03:01 AM
Originally posted by markwiley:
How are the rest of us expected to compete with this? Great shot, Wendy.

+1
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2013 12:02:44 AM
How are the rest of us expected to compete with this? Great shot, Wendy.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/26/2013 11:25:04 PM
I love it! Perfect minimalism.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 10:11:25 PM
A lovely shot, and very serendipitous placement of the duck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 07:22:28 PM
WOW. This is beautiful. My top pick and expecting to see a blue ribbon at roll over.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 05:21:52 PM
I'm having a hard time deciding if your title deserves reward or PUNishment ... ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 04:40:04 PM
Yeah. You had to put 'the frosting on the cake' with the duck, didn't you.
VERY well done. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 04:24:24 PM
Beautiful dark water lines, great timing, and a sufficiently corny title to remove all pretense...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 03:43:36 PM
Delicate light and well timed duck. I'm puzzled about the decision to square the crop - seems to leave a bit too much black at the top and bottom. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2013 11:29:17 AM
I like this for its difference.8.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/25/2013 11:46:49 PM
Gorgeous! My fave of the challenge. Great timing, but what the heck is that tree doing in the middle of nowhere....????
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/25/2013 11:04:11 PM
Amazing photograph
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/25/2013 08:10:01 PM
What a great shot. Gorgeous. My favorite.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2013 09:52:43 AM
Lovely. The bluish cast in the rippling water is really nice. How long did you have to wait to get the bird in just the right spot?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2013 06:02:49 PM
Nice use of negative space. The duck in the water is a bonus. (8)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2013 04:58:57 PM
I like the use of minimalism on a holiday where so many go overboard.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2013 04:41:23 PM
This is such a delightfully simple image. The reflections in the water make a powerful statement which benefit from the lack of clutter. The bird is the icing on the cake or should that be the fairy on the tree?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2013 02:05:04 PM
I love the creativity and "out of the box" thinking of this. The negative space and subtlety of processing is very refreshing. My top pick! The title is cute too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2013 10:35:54 AM
Very pretty
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2013 02:49:54 AM
Stunning!! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2013 12:46:14 AM
Oh this is beautiful!! The blue in my book!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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