Nazca Booby Remains

[David Kennedy]

On the very first morning of the trip to the Galapagos with Artie & Co., Linda Robbins called out to Artie that "there's a dead thing for you to photograph." Not sure that Artie walked over, but I made this image of the decomposing Nazca Booby head.

I do regret not stopping down to f/5.6, but the vast majority of the skeletal head is in focus.

Canon 5D II and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens @ 165mm. Exposed 1/400 sec. @ f/4, ISO 200.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I'll take your word for it that this was a booby. :) The little pebbles compete a bit with the remains.

[Phil Ertel]

Very graphic image. Certainly is a harsh reminder of nature. I like the diagonal placement of the remains. What distracts me are the out of focus pebbles to the top and center-left (our left) while the ones at the bottom are sharp. Thanks for sharing.

[David Kennedy]

I'll take your word for it that this was a booby.

It's my best guess: the three birds in abundance in that area were Nazca Boobies, Red-footed Boobies, and Frigatebirds. The bill isn't right for the latter, and the Red-footed Boobies have a much blue-er bill--although what happens to that bill when they die is something I cannot guess.

I don't suppose Artie wants to play mortician and jump in on this one? :)

[Aidan Briggs]

Nice soft light, and I like the pebbles. Is that white area the skull showing through?

[David Kennedy]

Nice soft light, and I like the pebbles. Is that white area the skull showing through?

Indeed. Thanks for the comments!

[Brian Barcelos]

Looks like a scene straight out of a horror movie!:D You know what the only two things that are guarenteed in life right. Harsh reality, very nice. Congrats.

Brian

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Like the spine remains. Well captured David.

[Ramon M. Casares]

I like the detail you got, but I would've probably gone for a different angle, lower actually and a shorter lens.
Nice document though. Congratulations.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Actually you've got here nice tension between the round stones and hair like remains of the bird.
perhaps more space LL, keep posting if you have more of this.

[Arthur Morris]

Hey David, I do like the image design and I am usually turned on by dead birds, but there were too many great live ones around! I think that if you had been able to photograph the dead-head from directly above, the result would have been better. It was great spending time with you and your Dad.

[David Kennedy]

I think that if you had been able to photograph the dead-head from directly above, the result would have been better.

Good to keep in mind for next time.

I like the detail you got, but I would've probably gone for a different angle, lower actually and a shorter lens.

Ramon, I would definitely play with the perspective next time. Good suggestions.

Feedback definitely helps when trying to figure out how to rank an image!

[paul leverington]

Poignant, dramatic, thought provoking, and sad. I almost forgot to comment on your shot David, I'm glad I remembered cause I wanted to. I would love to have seen shots from many differnt angles, and perhaps a wide angle that would include lots and lots of BG to evoke a greater feeling of the exasperating hopelesness of death here. Gone is the vibrant, active, colorful life that was here and is now gone. I figure that a wideangle view would make the small disintegrating head against a expansive volume of life an even greater feeling of a sad loss.

It's a cool subject and puts a different page in the book of bird photography.

Paul

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Paul,

re:

Poignant, dramatic, thought provoking, and sad.

Sad is a choice only possible if we believe our own story: pretty animals should live forever. (www.thework.com).

ps what happened to your "sot"???

[Juan Aragonés]

I like it a lot. From a compositional point of view, the main subject is a bit centered and I like Artie´s suggestion for a more vertical shooting angle. Good job!