Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
I took this image during a serendipitous moment at Woy Woy, where the central pelican seemed to command the stage, a maestro at the heart of a feathery parade, with its companions serving as the chorus line in this natural assembly.
Any feedback welcome
177 mm at ISO 125 and 1⁄500sec at ƒ/8
An excellent composition, Saundie and an interesting assemblage. It’s really neat that all the foreground pelicans have their pouches expanded while those in the background don’t. I know they’re backlit, but I think bringing up the shadowed side of the pelicans a bit would make them pop from the background a bit more.
Thanks Dennis your feedback is much appreciated. When you say the " shadowed side of the pelicans" do you mean the shadows within each pelican?
Pretty much the whole bird except the areas caught by the backlight (mostly a few places on the back and neck that are already very bright). That’s why I suggested using a shadows adjustment or a darks luminosity mask so you don’t blow out the bright areas.
I’ll give it a go thanks Dennis.
I love the pink pouches of these birds @Saundie Saundie. The backlight really makes them prominent. I can see bringing up the shadowed areas a bit to allow more detail in the birds bodies as well.
Thanks Ed. Will give it a go lightening the shadows, may take a while I’d do it bird by bird.
I don’t know, Don. I like it as is. Great image.
Thanks David, I like it too, always willing to explore new ideas. 
Well done seeing the pyramid here, Don. While the poses of the pelicans aren’t perfect, you’re definitely aided by that central one, which really grabs our focus. I think the loose crop on the sides works fine here, but if you had gone square to further emphasize the shape of the group, I think that would have also worked well.
