Etienne Francey's Image

Etienne Francey (Switzerland) uses his camera to create an impressionist view of tufted ducks.

Looking out over Switzerland’s Lake Neuchâtel, Etienne homed in on the tufted ducks, which had formed a lose line a short distance from the water’s edge. Not wanting to create an image that was just a row of birds, he played around with his camera settings.

Using a long exposure and camera movement, he transformed the reflected ducks into ‘ink drips’, combining the bands of colour to create an abstract scene.

Each year tens of thousands of tufted ducks migrate south from their northerly breeding grounds to overwinter on large, inland waters and sheltered coasts. With distinct little crests on the backs of their heads, these ducks feed mainly on crustaceans, aquatic insects and molluscs, as well as plant material.