It’s a Duck, Not a Goose

Photographer: Erick Cheng
Writer: Michelle Lo
Editor: Aaroha Save

Erick Cheng, a 15-year-old sophomore, had spent his entire life creating digital art. However, in April 2023 he began his journey in photography. One day, while on a boat on a river in San Francisco, he used his Nikon DSLR camera to snap a photo of the bird quickly. However, the process of composition was more complicated than one would think. Using the rule of thirds, he placed his subject on the third left line to capture the bird nicely in its majestic beauty. Afterwards, he enhanced the photo by editing it in Lightroom where he manipulated the colors to accentuate nature’s vivid hue. He hopes that this photo will be a reminder as to why we should keep our rivers and oceans clean because we have a responsibility to keep wildlife—like this duck, safe, healthy, and conserved. In juxtaposition to the bird’s similar appearance to a goose, he calls this picture, “It’s a Duck, Not a Goose.”