Wood Stork

[Ilija Dukovski]

This guy was moving around on the boardwalk in Gatorland. Good chance for a portrait.

CC appreciated.

Nikon D700 300mm+TC14, f/6.3 1/1600 AP-2/3 ISO400

[Julie Brown]

What a head shot! Do they always look this weathered?:cool:

[Scott Frye]

I would really like to see more of the beak -- maybe brighten the eye just a bit

[Lorant Voros]

I like it as presented and I'd love to get this close to this bird as well. Very interesting picture.

Lorant

[Arthur Morris]

I like the COMP and the wonderful detail. Here is one case where I would have gone for more d-of to sharpen up the neck... When were you in Gatorland? It is only 90 minutes from BAA. :)

[Ilija Dukovski]

I like the COMP and the wonderful detail.
Thank you sir.

Here is one case where I would have gone for more d-of to sharpen up the neck...
I tried f/6.3 it but wasn't enough. I need to practice bit more with this...

When were you in Gatorland?
4/22/2010 Couple of weeks ago. I was on a spring break trip to Disneyworld
with the kids. Managed to get couple of hours at Gatorland, the place was really great
and had a very nice chat with Mike.

It is only 90 minutes from BAA. :)
I'll take this one as an invitation to visit BAA next time I'm around:)

Thanks again.

[Ilija Dukovski]

What a head shot! Do they always look this weathered?:cool:

Thanks Julie, yes they are beautiful in their ugliness, if that makes any sense at all. :)
Very cool birds.

[Ilija Dukovski]

I would really like to see more of the beak -- maybe brighten the eye just a bit

Thanks Scott,
I hear what you are saying about the beak, but that would be a different shot. Here I aimed at the head and the eye. I got few with more of the beak, will post later.

[Ilija Dukovski]

I like it as presented and I'd love to get this close to this bird as well. Very interesting picture.

Lorant

Thanks Lorant, appreciated. It was really incredible to see so many species
so close at Gatorland. They are very tame and human presence does not seem
to bother them at all.

[Arthur Morris]

If I had been around I would have driven up to meet you for a morning. And yes, always an open invitation to drop by for lunch.

[Arthur Morris]

Ilija,

re:

Here is one case where I would have gone for more d-of to sharpen up the neck...

I tried f/6.3 it but wasn't enough. I need to practice bit more with this...

Here is the deal: when you are near the minimum focusing distance of your lens, i.e, very close to your subject, that is when you need to go to a small aperture. Why" D-O-F increases as the camera to subject distance increases. So when you are very close D-O-F is tiny, often only a mere fraction of an inch wide open....

[Ilija Dukovski]

If I had been around I would have driven up to meet you for a morning. And yes, always an open invitation to drop by for lunch.

Thank you very much, same here, always invited to visit.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Ilija,



Here is the deal: when you are near the minimum focusing distance of your lens, i.e, very close to your subject, that is when you need to go to a small aperture. Why" D-O-F increases as the camera to subject distance increases. So when you are very close D-O-F is tiny, often only a mere fraction of an inch wide open....

Got it, I don't really have a feel for D-O-F since 90% of the time I shoot wide open.
I need to practice to be able to do it properly in the rare occasions when I need optimized D-O-F.

[denise ippolito]

Ilija, Good advice already given. I like the sharp details in the face and the interesting crop.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Ilija, Good advice already given. I like the sharp details in the face and the interesting crop.

Thanks Denise, appreciated.

[Kiran Poonacha]

Great details Bhai... sure looks like its made of wood..

[Stu Bowie]

Incredible detail Ilija. I would have maybe experimented with a few other options ( showing more of the bill ) Love the eye.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Thanks Kiran and Stuart,

Stuart, agree there are several possibilities with the huge bill.
Here I tried to get the eye as prominent as I could to get all that
reflection visible.