Flamingo youngster begging for food (C)

[Diane Miller]

This was at the San Diego Zoo. They were in the shade which limited color correction.

Canon 5D Mk III, 300mm f/2.8 IS + 1.4X III. Hand held. ISO 800, f/5.6 1/350 sec. Cropped from the bottom a little -- leaving about 80% of full frame. Basic LR adjustments then to PS CS6 for Nik Detial Extractor, a little more color correction, and burning down an area of brighter light on the parent's neck. The top 2/3 of the BG is as shot -- I did some retouching on the bottom left 1/3 where some OOF vertical elements were distracting.

They stayed like this for a while then wandered into really ugly bright sun with more birds as distracting BG elements -- I never saw any evidence of food transfer.

Tonalities look a little thin here -- maybe I need to re-calibrate my eyes.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Diane, lovely feeding behaviour, even though no evidence of food. I like that we can see the serrated edge of junior's bill, and against a clean BG.

Im not familiar with this species of Flamingo. They dont look like either the greater, or lesser Flamingo's.

[Diane Miller]

Thanks! I apparently didn't do an iPhone photograph of the sign by the enclosure, although I try to remember to do that -- it's the closest enclosure to the entrance -- there is another one with some of them farther away. Their web site doesn't say much except it lists several species that they apparently have -- although it doesn't exactly say that they have them, either! The ones they list are Greater, and a Caribbean subspecies that is brighter (and they did have some very bright ones in this enclosure), Lesser, Chilean, Andean and Puna or James'.

[dankearl]

I like it a lot Diane, I would smooth the BG a bit more.

[Marina Scarr]

This is such a delightful image, Diane. Just love the interaction/begging behavior between the two. The vertical presentation is killer, and the BG looks so painterly. Really well seen and executed.

[Diane Miller]

Thanks, everyone! I was lucky to spot this, which was just off to one side of a very busy setting, and be able to get an angle with a nice BG.