From my trip to Western Australia last year. These wild pelicans are regularly fed a few fish on the beach in Kalbarri and tend to hang around for a little while after that, giving me a good opportunity for a nice portrait shot. I don't shoot birds often, and this is my third bird portrait ever, so any suggestions for improvement are very welcome. Thanks for looking!
Very well done. Like the texture on the birds head/neck, the goofy looking eye, pink pouch and blue background sets it all off. The angle of the bill and neck works well with the framing.
Makes me think of a cartoon character. If I were going to change anything, would probably move him just slightly to the left in the frame, but very close as is.
What a super capture, Jerry, and luck you for having this opportunity. I love the pose and the details are amazing. I am finding the image just a tad bright. I brought it into PS and did a Multiply Layer at 15% opacity, and it really brings it up another notch in my opinion. Looking forward to more.
What an interesting bird. Makes a great portrait subject. Very nice exposure and details.
I'm with Randy on moving the bird a bit more to the left.
TFS and looking forward to more.
Thanks everyone for your responses. Marina, I'll try your suggestion. I increased exposure, until the first clipping started to appear in the image (the reflections on the beak). I tried a lower exposure first, but it made the whites of the bird look dull grey, so I opted for the brighter version.
I like this lots! Tons of character to these guys. Sharpness looks spot-on and the water BG is very appealing. I too would move the pelican back, just enough that the amount of space at left matches the space at top.
Australian pelican
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