Birds with an attitude - last photo Pygme Cormorant

[Brutus Ostling]

It seems like old friends, but these pygme cormorants are arguing about the place on the branch and food delieveries, this photo from mid-July, was the last one for my book this September about "Birds with an attitude - relationships and individuality in the world of birds", free translation of the Swedish title. "The book is mostly about sex and violence", the text writer, professor emeritus Staffan Ulfstrand said with a little bit of humour.
I made it from the CMYK-file on my lousy laptop, so honestly I don't know how it will look.

[Brutus Ostling]

I forgot to crop it for the web, so now it's done. For the book you need space around, because you may need to crop it in a little bit different way because you loose some of the photo in the middle if it goes over two pages, like a spread

[Maxis Gamez]

What a cool behavior, light and BG. The bird in the lower part of the frame should be removed IMO.

[Markus Jais]

wonderful light and colors. I like the spread wings.
I agree with Maxis about the bird in the lower part.

Markus

[Linda Robbins]

Definite attitude going on here! I think the lower bird may be getting ready to give one of the perched birds a jab in the butt, but my vote goes for removal all the same.

[Alfred Forns]

First thing I though was the bottom bird had to go !! Love the interaction, just perfect expressions all around !!!

[Arthur Morris]

Well done Brutus. I do not mind the bird on the bottom as it is part of the story. Is the bird in the center the adult? Notice the sharpness and the light on the head of the bird on our right (with a perfect head angle) as compared to the bird on our left (with its head turned slightly away from square to the imaging sensor... Just a few degrees of difference has left the face and eye of the bird on the right in shadow with the eye barely visible.

[Brutus Ostling]

Thank you very much for your comments. Arthur, the brown headed should be the adult, these very small and (I believe) not so common cormorants are not anything I have photographed before, but I am almost sure (no birdbooks available right now). The other ones should be young ones - but flight capable - who disagrees about the distribution of the food.

I had a quick thought about taking away that bird in the bottom, but Artie is thinking the same way - in this particular case it's a part of the story. And when I saw the blueprint with the spread (half a metre), I was sure it was no distraction but added something - that has also a little to do with that middle-thing in a spread and with the size I could see it in (haf a metre).

Yea, the face to the left is not so good, it's a little bit unsharp too. For the theme of the book the photo was fiiting very good though.

PS. I am very jealous about your gannet place in Canada.

[Roman Kurywczak]

I too, Brutus, voted for bottom bird removal but I can appreciate that it does add to the story.........personal preference there. No arguing though about the very nice interaction.

[Arthur Morris]

I too, Brutus...

Hey Roman, Shouldn't that have been "Et tu, Brutus?" :) :D :)

[Roman Kurywczak]

That gave me a good laugh Artie! Well done.

[Raymond Barlow]

I like the composition here, sweet light, and the interaction is very cool., I think the bird on the bottom should stay personally., it adds to the dynamics of the situation.