Pelicans

[Manta]

Another two from today…

Comments appreciated.

[xerubus]

the coulours are great around the eyes... the shots are nice and sharp... but there's just something with the composition that hasn't quite done it for me. <shrugs>

i like the light in the first one around the eyes...

cheers

[Manta]

Thanks Mark. Back to the drawing board for me I suppose...

[stubbsy]

Simon

These do nothing for me either. Pelicans are beautiful birds and amazing up close. At the same time they are a real challenge photographically since their shape and size are hard to fit into a frame. For me the first fails because the shape of the bird is awkward and aesthetically unappealing and the second falls victim to a problem with many shots of this amazing bird in that it's just too tight a crop or else not tight enough (see below).

My tips from lot's of (mostly failed) practice with these birds is to try the following:

• extreme closeup eg of the beautiful eye detail or the tip of their beak. Your second pic is close, but because we see part of the beak we want the lot. If NONE is there we focus on the eye (although the angle here lets you down too)
  
• a wide shot from the side of the entire head and beak preferably with the beak sagging
  
• a direct front on shot which has the benefit of foreshortening their beak and allowing you to frame their entire body.
  
• side shots of them grooming where you can see the curves of their neck rather than with their head buried
  
• shots of them gliding or landing

HTH

[Manta]

Thanks Peter - I've got other shots depicting the sort of compositions you suggest so i'll have a play with those. I'm pleased to get some expert advice as I've not done much with pelicans in the past.

[the foto fanatic]

I'll happily go against the grain here!

I like the first because of the unusual attitude of the bird. These are funny looking creatures, and this shot emphasises that. Imagine having to scratch yourself with that thing!

I also like #2 because it is an exercise in shapes and colours.

Well done Simon.

[Manta]

Thanks for those comments Trevor. I specifically set out to get shots that were a little out of the ordinary as there have already been some stunning images of pelicans posted on this forum and I knew I couldn't even compete against those. In light of that, I looked on this as more as a style exercise highlighting, just as you said, the unusual shapes and colours that these birds possess.

I certainly can see Mark's and Peter's viewpoints that for them, as pelican shots, the images don't really cut it. That must be a sentiment echoed by many judging by the number of members who've viewed the shots but declined to comment.

I'm pleased that you, and hopefully some other members, see something else in the shots but I'm also happy to hear criticism from anyone. I've had a pretty good run with the majority of posters liking my work in the past so I'm not at all miffed if I've failed to please everyone on this occasion. (Better than my recent polar bear post - no replies whatsoever on that one. Must have been a shocker!!)

[kinetic]

Hey Manta,
I really like shot 2, I think the close up works really well. THe bird is in quite a "thoughtful" pose I think.
Number 1 - hmmm, I'm not too keen on this one - The pose is just a little too contorted for my liking... why didn't you ask him to move?

[glamy]

I'll have to go with Trevor, I like these pictures.
Cheers,
Gerard

[Manta]

Hey Manta,
I really like shot 2, I think the close up works really well. THe bird is in quite a "thoughtful" pose I think.
Number 1 - hmmm, I'm not too keen on this one - The pose is just a little too contorted for my liking... why didn't you ask him to move?

Thanks K - glad you like the second one (I prefer it too). In the first one, you'll notice the water behind him is on an angle. I deliberately tilted the camera for this so as to keep the bird aligned, otherwise it would have looked weird. Seems I failed in my attempts to un-weird him anyway!!

[Manta]

I'll have to go with Trevor, I like these pictures.
Cheers,
Gerard

Thanks Gerard.

[Dargan]

Well if you ask me that's a Pelican with Personality in #1 and I like that in a bird!

[Matt. K]

Manta
I think that first pelican has fallen in love with you.

[Sandy Feet]

Love your Pelican shots, we dont get many pelicans around the inner city harbour area of Sydney

Cheers
Rod

[Manta]

Dargan - Should that be "pelicanality"?

Matt - Let's not jump to any conclusions here. As far as I'm concerned we're just friends.

Sandy - don't know why that is; we've got heaps of them up here.