How a Photographer Captured This Dreamy Portrait of a Female Wood Duck in the Snow
Scott Suriano relies on waders and a floating blind to snap wintry pond scenes at surface level.
Photographer Scott Suriano is always hoping for one last snow. In the mercurial transition from winter to spring, he sees a chance to capture an unusual scene for his neck of the woods: Wood Ducks in a flurry of snowflakes. The ducks only return to the pond near his home in northern Maryland in late February or early March, so his window of opportunity each year is brief. Once they鈥檝e arrived, he checks the forecast each night, hoping for inclement weather. On the morning he photographed this female, Suriano woke before dawn to falling snow.
鈥淚t was coming down pretty heavy,鈥 he says, 鈥渟o I thought I鈥檇 give it a shot.鈥
Rather than lying prone on the pond鈥檚 edge, which grows uncomfortable, Suriano prefers to get into the water. An icy dip is no problem for Wood Ducks鈥攊nsulated with fat and down beneath waterproof, oil-coated feathers鈥攂ut Suriano鈥檚 immersive approach requires the right gear. In below-freezing temperatures, he dons midweight waders with room for extra layers underneath that keep him warm and dry.
Equally important is the homemade floating blind he uses to avoid startling the birds.
Equally important is the homemade floating blind he uses to avoid startling the birds, which he fashioned from marine-grade plywood and a cheap foam recreational bodyboard. The setup has a photographic advantage, too: 鈥淚t allows you to get a really low, surface-level shot.鈥
Once he鈥檚 in the pond, ideally before sunrise, it鈥檚 a waiting game. The Wood Ducks fly down to the water from their roosts in the trees, usually swimming in breeding pairs. This female鈥檚 flashier mate was likely just out of frame, Suriano says; he opted to give her center stage instead.
To accentuate the ethereal wintry atmosphere, Suriano adjusted his camera settings to produce a bright image with a very thin depth of field, capturing the duck鈥檚 subtly hued head in crisp focus while casting most of the falling snowflakes in a dreamy blur. 鈥淭he subject is the duck,鈥 Suriano says. 鈥淏ut the supporting cast is the environment and the weather."
This story originally ran in the Winter 2024 issue as 鈥淐old Plunge.鈥 To receive our print magazine, become a member by .