Matched Pair

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Two young Australian Pelicans on the Mitchell River East Gippsland, East Victoria.

Captures on Canon 30D with 70-200F/4 L, at 1/50sec, F/13. ISO200, Pattern Metering, A/Priority, Hand held.

http://birdphotographers.net/forums/...1&d=1201938937

[Arthur Morris]

Amazing birds; are those eyes real!!! Excellent use of do-f and excellent exposure. What focal length were you at?

later and love, artie

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Nice use of DOF. I'd love to see this species sometime. A lower angle would have improved the image.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Sorry Artie, 70mm.

Thanks Axel, thanks to a massive M/Cycle accident in 2001 if I get down lower, I must have someone to get me up , but I am working on it.

I am having a Manfrotto Monopod modified to use as a walking stick and hand grips attached to allow me to get up from lying or crouching.

Don't worry mate I will get there.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks Axel, thanks to a massive M/Cycle accident in 2001 if I get down lower, I must have someone to get me up , but I am working on it.

I am having a Manfrotto Monopod modified to use as a walking stick and hand grips attached to allow me to get up from lying or crouching.

Don't worry mate I will get there.

I'm sorry to hear about the accident. It sounds as if you found a good way to overcome the problems.

[Arthur Morris]

Sorry Artie, 70mm.

Ah, you could not have gone any wider... This being the case, you needed to point the lens down a bit as there is more room below the birds than above.. (Or moved back a meter or so...)

later and love, artie

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

I'm sorry to hear about the accident. It sounds as if you found a good way to overcome the problems.

Axel after 24 years of racing motorcycles with no serious injuries, a young 19 year old driver fell asleep at the wheel and nearly killed me, but on the good side, I started to learn about the non technical side of photography and a new world opened up for me.

You guys and this forum (yes I found many useless forums prior to learning about Artie et al) are giving me a new focus and joy beyond belief.

Thank you all.:)

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Incredible looking pelicans and an awesome composition Christopher. Sorry to hear of your accident but it certainly has not held you back . Axel and Artie have covered it all. Thanks for sharing this beautiful capture.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Ah, you could not have gone any wider... This being the case, you needed to point the lens down a bit as there is more room below the birds than above.. (Or moved back a meter or so...)

Yes Artie, that occurred to me but being on a silt jetty (the only other one is the Mississippi River as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico) http://www.lakes-entrance.com/images/siltjettiesa.jpg I would have ended up in the Mitchell River and though a reasonable swimmer, June is Winter here and I prefer to enter my wife's car dry.:)

I will however keep that advice in mind and in future pass the camera to my wife and she can step back.:)

[Jim Poor]

This is really nice. I like the symmetry and the color on those eyes! I think that getting lower, in this case would have caused the two heads to merge too much so I like it as is.

[Simon Bennett]

I like the symmetry and use of depth of field.

[Ian Colley]

Hi Chris, I agree with the other posts, I like the symmetry, plenty of detail in the white and black. I like the ripples caused from the drops off the bills.