Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Diving Brown Pelican

  1. #1
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    5,376
    Threads
    531
    Thank You Posts

    Default Diving Brown Pelican

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I was out on Sunday photographing whales and dolphins on Monterey Bay. We also saw plenty of Pelagic birds that included Shearwaters, Black-footed Albatross, Common Murre, Pelagic Cormorant to name a few. This is in addition to Brown Pelicans and Gulls who relentlessly followed us for chum. Here is one such image as a brown pelican dived for chum. For processing, I used Topaz Adjust and Simplify. Changed opacity of the layers and used masks to paint certain portions of the image. Hope you like it...
    Last edited by Indranil Sircar; 09-13-2011 at 01:24 AM.

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    1,361
    Threads
    131
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Indranil, a great job of processing on this one...I love the effect on the water...and a great job of bringing some detail back into the pelican. If it were mine I might brighten the pelican a smidge..and maybe add a burn to the four corners..just to help give a little more separation. As it, it is still a wonderful image...did you see any whales?

  3. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NE Mississippi
    Posts
    4,700
    Threads
    636
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great base image -- you really captured the pelican at the right moment! I love the effect on the water. I think brightening the pelican, especially the beak, might separate it from the water more.

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    5,376
    Threads
    531
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    John, Judy, thanks a lot. Here is a repost with brightened pelican... I also added a slight vignette...
    Last edited by Indranil Sircar; 09-13-2011 at 09:54 AM.

  5. #5
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    West Nottingham, PA, USA
    Posts
    7,038
    Threads
    427
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    You certainly saw a lot of birds!

    The colors and light in this image are lovely. Wonderful position of the wings. I hate to write this, but the image as a whole doesn't work for me. It doesn't look natural. When I first say it I thought you had created a composit, taking the pelican from one image and the water from another. The pelican looks like it is standing on the water, not hovering over the water.

  6. #6
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Citrus Springs, FL
    Posts
    1,555
    Threads
    178
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful, Indranil! I love the effect on the water and the action captured. The repost is a little too light for my taste - perhaps somewhere between the OP and the repost?

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    23,119
    Threads
    1,523
    Thank You Posts
    Blog Entries
    55

    Default

    Awesome capture Indranil! I love the what the filter did to the water and the Peli reminds me of a duck! Nice composition allowing for the water water. Agree w/ Maureen somewhere in between.

  8. #8
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    1,797
    Threads
    248
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi Indranil,

    Anita has given me an idea and something you might consider..................it's easier by example than words. I hope you don't mind. What think? I did some shadow work in the water and brightened the head/dive water spray................also tone down the entire BG behind the bird for depth. I don't know if this is better, just an idea for you to consider. Great image to work with.......................

  9. #9
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    1,361
    Threads
    131
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    This is why I love this forum! Indranil, your repost, as mentioned by others, seemed to go a little too far in brightening the bird...but it was on the right track! Jay's repost, at least for me, nailed it....both with the bird, and the shadows on the water (something I had not even thought of). This has really sent the image over the top for me.

  10. #10
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    5,376
    Threads
    531
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Sheinfield View Post
    Hi Indranil,

    Anita has given me an idea and something you might consider..................it's easier by example than words. I hope you don't mind. What think? I did some shadow work in the water and brightened the head/dive water spray................also tone down the entire BG behind the bird for depth. I don't know if this is better, just an idea for you to consider. Great image to work with.......................
    Jay, this is awesome. I like how you did this... the shadow really makes it work as also adjusting the bg. Thanks for trying this out.

    Agree with John; this is what makes OOTB so much fun

  11. #11
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    5,376
    Threads
    531
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Anita Bower View Post
    You certainly saw a lot of birds!

    The colors and light in this image are lovely. Wonderful position of the wings. I hate to write this, but the image as a whole doesn't work for me. It doesn't look natural. When I first say it I thought you had created a composit, taking the pelican from one image and the water from another. The pelican looks like it is standing on the water, not hovering over the water.
    Anita, thanks for your comment. You do have a point. I was analyzing the original and it seems to me the composite feel comes from the way I processed it in layers and then using masks to adjust the pelican. I think Jay's version fixes that to great extent. It's always a good to get alternate viewpoint

  12. #12
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    1,797
    Threads
    248
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Indranil, Happy you like it................thanks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics