Ernie the Egyptian Goose

[Mike Poole]

This is our local resident Egyptian Goose who arrived at the site a few year back from, well nobody knows where from, and decided he'd found a new home. He's totally wild and free, but as he's the only one in the area he's been given the name 'Ernie'.

I wasn't looking for him today, but he walked down the path bold as brass and posed for a few shots before going for a swim.

Canon 5d3
500mm f4is
ISO 1600
1/640th f5

Mike

[Ross Taylor]

Love this shot Mike!

Background, closeup, details, colors, all fantastic. Love the eye and the plumage around it.

I am curious, having just learned a little about HA here on BPN, if this "head-on-backwards" pose is a good HA?

Thanks for sharing Ernie with us, Mike :)

Ross

[William Dickson]

I love the HA Mike. Fantastic details fitting well with the BG. Well done Ernie

Will

[Karl Egressy]

Ernie looks good, Mike.

[stuart wanuck]

love the eye

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Mike, good look back pose, and I like the plumage detail. Colours look spot on, and he stands out against the darker BG nicely.

These guys are fairly common on most of our dams and wetlands.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Really nice portrait. Fantastic details and the eye is quite spectacular. The colours of the goose stand out nicely against the dark BG. Having said this I do find the very darkest spot touching the bill a bit of an eye-puller, at least for me. HA looks good...

[Mike Poole]

Love this shot Mike!

Background, closeup, details, colors, all fantastic. Love the eye and the plumage around it.

I am curious, having just learned a little about HA here on BPN, if this "head-on-backwards" pose is a good HA?

Thanks for sharing Ernie with us, Mike :)

Ross

Hi Ross, thanks for commenting.

For me, the classic head angle tends to be looking slightly towards the camera, just short of 90 degrees. However, there are many times it can be broken, such as Miroslavs shot http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...27-Autumn-rain

As for the 'head on backwards' for this thread - your guess is as good as mine!

Mike

[Mike Poole]

These guys are fairly common on most of our dams and wetlands.

Cheers Stu.

Whenever I get a shot of an uncommon (to us) species I always remind myself that there must be someone somewhere in the world who dreams of getting a shot of a blue tit!