We regularly feature winning photos from our Images of Edina photo contest. This month, we asked photographer William Webb to tell us about his photo titled “A Beautiful Lake Edina Wood Duck” which won in the 2018 “Plants and Animals” category.
When and where was the photo taken?
This wood duck photo was taken in May 2018 in our backyard. We live on Lake Edina, so most of my nature photography comes right from our backyard. It has actually become a wonderful hobby since I’ve been in a wheelchair for about four years. Fortunately, most of the wildlife I photograph comes right to me, although I did get a bigger zoom lens a couple years ago.
What inspired the shot?
The photo was inspired by the combination of perfect, warm morning light and such a colorful and beautiful duck that landed right outside my window.
What’s your favorite thing about the image?
The great morning light enhanced the spectacular colors of the wood duck. I’m always surprised to see a web-footed duck in a tree—but I guess that’s how they got the name wood duck.
What tips would you give an aspiring nature photographer?
Invest in a digital camera with at least a moderate zoom lens. Once you get the digital camera, you don’t have to invest these days in the cost of film or film processing, plus you can get good cameras relatively inexpensively these days. A zoom lens lets you capture things the human eye just can’t see. Also, water is a great attractant for birds, so a bird bath is a good investment too, and then enjoy the process of capturing nature’s beauty.
