Brown Pelican

Gallery: AvianPosted March 15, 201063 views13 comments

Canon 7D, 500mm f/4 + 1.4x TC. Monopod.

1/1600, f/8, ISO 400. Aperture priority, evaluative metering, -2/3 EC.

Crop to 89% (16 of 18MP)

This is another from Puerto Penasco, Mexico. I had planned to continue with the shorebirds, but thought I would mix in a pelican or two first. I love these pelicans... they have so much character, and their colors are so variable--particularly the throat pouches on the breeding adults. yellows, reds, greens, etc. Not the most challenging subject (big, approachable) except for the minor issue of not blowing the whites, but I find them endlessly interesting.

Comments and critiques appreciated. Please view larger version if possible.

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on March 16, 2010 at 12:57 AM

Brian, you make exposing this challenging bird sounds veryeasy....I think it can be very challenging, so don't sell yourself short. Nice job. Love the detail onn this bird. The comp is a tiny bit tight, but I like the vertical comp a lot. Very well done.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by chris hajee on March 16, 2010 at 2:37 AM

nicely done and perfect exposure Brian,

Registered on January 18, 2005, 179 Posts, 2384 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on March 16, 2010 at 5:21 AM

Great shot, Brian. I like it very much.
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on March 16, 2010 at 9:58 AM

Nice pose and detail, Brian. I'm not sure where you cropped it, but I'd vote for a trifle more room all around, if you have it.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on March 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM

Gotta love those details and the interesting colors. Nice work on the exposure. BG works well.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on March 16, 2010 at 11:50 AM

Very interesting colors and wonderful detail, I really like the way the pelican is positioned in this shot, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on March 16, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Nice to see one in natural habitat, vs on a deck or someone's yacht. The demure pose is attractive. Love the soft yellow feathers on the head.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on March 16, 2010 at 2:33 PM

Nice comp Brian. Great detail and light on this pelican. I love the mossy perch too. The BG gives a good sense of place. Well done.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on March 16, 2010 at 3:03 PM

Very good! Lots of nice detail in this stately looking bird in the large version. Exposure looks great and you have good detail in the bright head and the dark body.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on March 16, 2010 at 5:04 PM

Perfect details and exposure.

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on March 16, 2010 at 8:43 PM

I agree with everyone else: great detail and exposure on the bird. I might be tempted to decrease the exposure on the top whitish layer in the background just so the background is more uniform.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on March 17, 2010 at 2:48 PM

Brian:
Ditto Kurt's statements. Approaching the bird may be easier than other birds, but the exposure and DOF can be challenging. I like the way you handled both in this shot.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on March 18, 2010 at 7:43 AM

Brian,

Brown Pelicans may be easier to approach than some bird species but they are definitely a challenge to photograph well because of the DOF & exposure issues and you succeeded. Lovely details, sharpness, colors and light. If you have a bit more canvas from the original frame a bit more space all a round would give you a stronger comp, but I like the intimacy this comp provides too.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments