The last time I saw a Brown Pelican, I was shooting in OlympusCamedia C-2500 L, a 2.5 megapixel three times zoom point-and-shoot which used compact flash and a proprietary memory card which looks like an oversized SD card. So that might’ve been 2002? The Pelican was making a rare appearance in the South Puget Sound area. It has not been back since.
This image was taken in Costa Rica from a moving boat on a river which empties into the Pacific Ocean.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I had a real difficult time with this composition, trying to figure out an artistic interpretation with a minimum of background components. So many times with in-flight shots, the skies really boring. Any other ideas?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If backgrounds have been removed, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Iso-1600, 500 mm with 1.4 extender, F8, 2000th, D 500, handheld, full frame with added canvas.
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The sky is definitely not boring here, David. Especially with that light on the brown. It complements the bird really well. I love the open mouth and I think your composition works really well. I will brighten the right half of the sky by a touch as the light fall off seems to be a little off to me. But other than that, superb shot. It is about to dive bomb, I reckon?
Really cool shot! I do have the urge to see what it would look like rotated CCW just a little to make the wings a touch less vertical and more diagonal.
I like the sky, David. The bit of cloud works very nicely and the subdued blues appeal to me. Given that it looks like the Pelican is about to enter a dive, I might put a touch more canvas on the bottom, but this works as posted. Interesting detail in the pouch-I’ve never seen that lattice like structure shown before. I also find it interesting that it is apparently using the air to inflate its pouch prior to entering the water.
What a great shot, David. Looks like the wait to get to see and capture another shot of a Brown Pelican was well worth it. I like it just as it is, sky, composition, all of it. Very impressive, especially taken from a boat.
Hi David,
You could add a little more canvas at the bottom. Bird is very sharp and the image has more than enough sharpness for printing. I like the pose too. Well done…Jim
