JPG

The Mandarin Duck is undisputedly the most beautiful duck on Earth. And any snapshot of it will turn out reasonably nice.

Still, I found it a challenge to get a image that has something extra.

I tried taking them in action, but the many colors, combined with the movement, produced a mess. I find that they look better when they are still, but that's when they also look boring.

I sat by the Mandarin duck pond on two visits and took about hundred shots before settling on this.

In the Portraits of Birds photo essay.