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Golden Head
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Golden Head

by Luca Mussato

Gallery: AvianPosted March 18, 201164 views6 comments
Hello everyone.
Reviewing some files from my last trip to Tanzania I clashed into this portrait. It was taken at NgoroNgoro while heading to the pic-nic area. It is the head of a male of one of the bigger flying birds on the earth: the Black-bellied Korhaan or Bustard(Eupodotis melanogaster).

Shot: D2Xs,
nikkor 300mm f/4 - 1/3000s iso 200
metering: spot - White balance: sunny - H.H.

PP in CS3 selective contrast and brightness, saturation of yellows and reds for the eye.

Let me know your opinions.

Thanks for looking, Luca

Comments

6 comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on March 18, 2011 at 1:14 PM
Beautiful eye!
Kind of an awkward pose - too bad you couldn't get in front of him to get a side angle or - better yet - a slight head-turn toward you.
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on March 18, 2011 at 4:50 PM
A very interesting head shot Luca. I agree with Sandy. Having the bird looking at the camera would have helped this image.
Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments
Comment posted by Nate Chappell on March 18, 2011 at 6:32 PM
The eye is an interesting focal point here Luca. For me the biggest issue here is the very limited depth of field. I think this portrait would have been much more effective at say F8 to get most of the beak in focus as well. A head turn would have been nice too but that's secondary and out of your control. :toast:
Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Dudley on March 19, 2011 at 8:40 AM
I've never seen a head shot of this species Luca - really enjoy the eye detail. I agree that more DOF would have made the image even stronger.
Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Huff on March 19, 2011 at 10:33 PM
Luca, I love the eye you have captured on this Golden Head. Good detail and exposure on all the head, but the eye just stand out. Great Job.

Ron Huff
Registered on August 31, 2010, 69 Posts, 440 Comments
Comment posted by Luca Mussato on March 30, 2011 at 4:33 PM
Thanks to all for your comments. Yes F8 could have helped but I wanted to use a F4 because of a couple of Jeeps in BG (maybe someone took the same picture from the opposite side with F8 and decided my big face in BG was a plus :biggrin: ).

Cheers to all
Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments