I have a problem: I take too many pictures of my dogs. They don’t seem to mind, and fortunately for me, they make great models.
While I’m constantly following Mika and Tiny with a camera year round, my favorite time for photos/videos is during the waterfowl season. Early in the year when we’re in the wet, muddy cattail sloughs in search of blue and green-winged teal, wood ducks and the occasional mallard, the best photo opps seem to present themselves.
Colorful ducks, reflective water and drops of mud flinging from my labs four legs as they charge through ponds offer challenging shutter snaps. Making sure my settings are dialed to get tack-sharp images that stop water droplets in mid-air and capture the flap of an ear upturned can be a split second decision. All while hoping the iridescence of wing feathers pop to give the photo life.
Simultaneously, I’m trying to keep the camera from getting wet, dirty or dropped onto rocks, or worse, into the pond. I’m usually wading out into knee deep muck to get as close to the subjects as possible, inviting mayhem to wreak havoc on the gear.
But, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tiny has been a willing participant in my efforts to capture the essence of a waterfowl retrieve. Of course, she’s just doing her job while we’re hunting, but the reckless abandon as she hits the water and sheer excitement at the idea of getting that duck evokes the perfect emotion for a still shot.
I have a few favorites from the last few years that I’ve posted below (let me know which one is your favorite), but one was recently chosen as the 2nd place winner in the Delta Waterfowl “Million Duck Big Picture Photo Contest”. Click here to see the announcement and the other winners.
The winning photo (at the top of the page) encapsulates everything I’d expect it to have, with one exception: bad weather. Thankfully for me (and my gear), the day was beautiful, if not a bit warm for a duck hunt. Unfortunately in Minnesota, we start our duck season earlier than I’d prefer as some hunters would rather battle mosquitos for blue-wingers versus braving the gales of November for big flocks of migrating mallards. We have also begun an early teal season, meant to offer the chance at early departing teal, who hightail it south at the first sign of falling leaves. In 2023, we had days that reached 90 degrees during that season…no thanks.
But, I digress…this winning image shows Tiny in peak physical condition, the duck’s namesake pale-blue wing patch, and an explosion of water and mud. There is also one important detail that can be hard to capture in camera-shy dogs: the focused-expression and eyes staring back at me.
As you’ll see in many of these other images, checking off all those boxes isn’t easy. But, I like ’em anyway. Thanks Delta Waterfowl for the opportunity to participate, the award and the work you do to grow our duck population!
PS. Thanks to Pheasants Forever as well for including one of my favorite pheasant images in their recent Journal of Upland Conservation!
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