Feb project

[Tom Rambaut]

I have been waiting to post this.

This is shot at a zoo!!

Just letting you know. You would not want to be eye level and this close to this bird without some form of barrier. This is a female cassowary - think emu or ostrich type thing but a very restricted range in north Queensland Australia. These things are something out of Jurassic Park.

To give some scale that bony helmet is about 17cm heigh.

7d, 500mm + 1.4ext, 1/125 @ 5.6. ISO 400. EV O.

Thanks

[Daniel Cadieux]

You are right, this bird does not look like it wants anyone to mess with it!! Good details here, and great eyes. I'd tone down the brightest highlights on the cheeks, and wish this individual had raised its head more for better separation from the FG element (bird's body?). Perhaps a bit more room needed, although this crop does give this nasty-looking individual an "in-your-face" attitude.

[Chris Korman]

I really like the long eyelashes and eyes. I guess it be nice to see a hint of the red throat area. But all and all, a lot better than I've shot of this subject. Did you have any issues shooting through a fence or having to shoot above the fence?

[DanWalters]

Nice eye contact and I like the detail in the crest.

[Marina Scarr]

This is a great capture. What a stare down he is giving you, and I have no doubt getting close to this bird is not for the weak.

I would like to see a tad more room on the top if you have it. It actually looks as though he is peering over his plumes at you (or was that some kind of barrier or vegetation). The eyelashes are killer! Why aren't mine like that.

Looking forward to seeing more of this stunning bird.

[Tom Rambaut]

The OOF element is a brush fence - the bird kept peeping over it. Its head would disapear and then rise above it and look at you then back down again.

The fence was as heigh as my tripod fully extended. This is a tight crop - went for the in-your-face look.

[Arthur Morris]

Yes to more room at the top and yes to scary looking. Super-sharp. Thanks for sharing this odd bird with us. Have you ever photographed one in the wild?

[Josée Normandeau]

We call them casoar in french. Outstanding portrait of a seldom seen bird (at least for us in North America).

If this picture was mine, I would go back to the zoo and try to get another shot without the body part in the foreground.

[Tom Rambaut]

Never seen one in the wild - They are ground dwellling, flightless and are to be found in dense rainforest - so the lighting would be dull. They are known to be aggressive if provoked. Currently considered endangered.

[Chris Martinez]

If only that fence was a few inches lower. Beautiful birds but if I saw one in the wild I guess standing behind the tripod might be a good idea

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Killer details and stare here. Excellent sharpness. Thx for sharing.