This feels a bit off-center to me, but I tried cropping it in different ways and also horizontal vs vertical. Any preferences?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If backgrounds have been removed, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn). Cropped area to the right of the pelican. Used Topaz Studio AI Clear.
Nikon D500, Nikon PF 500mm lens 1/2500sec, f5.6, ISO 320.
If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
An interesting pose with very good detail and I like the pattern made by the pouch. I like the water droplets as well, they came out sharp. It seems a little tight on the right side; I see your dilemma about the crop. I wonder how a more horizontal crop would look with a tad bit more on the right and more on the left??? Still, the pelican is coming right at the viewer, so in this case maybe centering it would work.
EJ, I like the expression of the pelican and what looks like a struggle inside its pouch. Those things combined with how the pelican seems to ride on a wave make the image very very dynamic. I see your struggle about the crop. In this case, I would center the bird. A small nit is to clone out the dark-ish blobs right on top of the frame and to the left of the frame on the same elevation as the bird.
I like this image with the water drops, nice head on pose, and fine details. I think a centered composition would work fine as well since the bird is pretty much coming right at us.
I just love face on bird shots, and you nailed this one really well, EJ. I was even surprised that it was at f5.6, as a pelican has quite a long beak, and everything is sharp in focus, so no DOF problems. Very nice shot. I agree with Allen, a centered composition would probably work best here.
A very interesting shot with lots to think about re: placement in the frame. It appears it is approaching from upper left to lower right but has turned to look at you. It it continues along that path it have to further turn its head, but not its body, to maintain contact with you. A bit of a strange suggestion: Maybe less area to left of pelican and more on right? It, as is, very good.
An unusual head-on angle of this specimen. I love the eye contact and expression of the pelican, and water drops as it attempts to swallow the fish. Good DOF to get the tip of the beak also sharp. The vertical composition suits this frame, but it would be good to have a little bit more room on the right.
I love the angle you caught, EJ. I’ve never seen a pouch look like that and it adds a lot to the image. Compositionally, I think I’d probably take a bit off the bottom and add a sliver on the right, but that’s pretty much a matter of taste. The face and neck seem just the slightest bit soft compared with the body, so you might selectively sharpen them a bit.
