# The Shovelers



## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

BNWR, Sunday morning.

1. Male, Eclpise, Northern Shoveler
2. Female Northern Shoveler.


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## Guest (Dec 20, 2012)

I like your Shoveler pictures. I took some shoveler pictures with my pocket camera on the same Sunday near the Bolivar light house.


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## TooShallow (May 21, 2004)

Those are pretty darn good. How did you get the white background on the male?


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Thanks Guys.
TS, Its called High Key, Spot meter the duck and go a bit overexposed 1/3 stop or so. works really well with calm water, the reflection of the sky on water helps wash out the surface.


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## TooShallow (May 21, 2004)

High Key....can I do this with my bracketing settings?


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

TooShallow said:


> High Key....can I do this with my bracketing settings?


The key to the process has to do with the light meter in the camera, you want to slightly over expose the duck and overexpose the background. then in photoshop, bring the exposure down a bit to get the duck exposure correct, and leaving the background over exposed. The conditions have to be right to do it in the field. clam water and gray over cast sky is the basics needed, along with the exposure.
Studio photogs use strobes to get the same in fashion photography, its a bit harder to do when done in nature with availble light.

http://photo.tutsplus.com/tutorials/lighting/beginners-guide-to-shooting-high-key/


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## TooShallow (May 21, 2004)

Thanks, gonna give it try. I'll set my exposure to spot metering and then + bracket over a broad range and maybe I'll get lucky. Now just gotta find the right conditions and the subject. Really like the effect of the white background.


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

Cool, post what you come up with. This weekend is suppost to be overcast, and living in Seabrook there are quite a few ponds and such. You should be able to find the right place, that park down todville comes to mind.


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