Vulturescape

Marsel. Your description of the image and the importance of the environment is excellent. While this would be a nice landscape sunset the vulture tells a completely different story. I like this very much. Of course your composition and technical execution are superb. Very nice image.

Beautiful image for all the reasons you state. I love the sun's rays leading to the tree.

"It's hard to say what is the main subject here" - The subject is nature's glory, and in this you have excelled.
In a word - "Spellbinding" defined : Hold the complete attention of (someone) as though by magic; fascinate.
Outstanding

Love it!

Wonderful scene with the silhouette and sunset colors. I like seeing more habitat in bird images and this picture takes it one step further. I also like the flexibility in this image, for me this would also make for a very nice vertical image with just the silhouetted tree and vulture. Excellent shot, well seen and well done.

Beautiful, Marsel. Well seen. I like that you can still see detail in the darker clouds without blowing out the sun.

Beautiful birdscape, Marsel. Excellent composition.

Beautiful scene Marsel. I too am torn between the scenery and the bird, but both of them together really works here.

Story telling, excellent image. TFS.

Absolutely a beautiful scene Marsel. These kind of wildlife images are my favorite to view and create. Very Nice Work!!!

Ken Archer

A delightful image, full of mood and sense of place.

That is so nice Marcel. I really like the rays of light and tones.

Great image.

Stunning. Doesn't get much better than this.

Outstanding image,

Ray

Exquisite.
Congrats on the WP!
Sandy

your description is very well put... what an oustanding image... added bonus how the sunrays point towards the vulture

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this being chosen as a weekly pick in Avian. It is a great image no doubt, but to me the vulture is not the main subject of the image, the sunset and the overall landscape are the main subject for me.

An amazing image that depicts your philosophy of photographing wildlife just as you describe in your comment. I couldn't agree more. This is just a superb vision. Congrats on the Pick.

Thanks for all the kind words!

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this being chosen as a weekly pick in Avian. It is a great image no doubt, but to me the vulture is not the main subject of the image, the sunset and the overall landscape are the main subject for me.

Ron - for me the main subject is whatever the image is about. Size does not matter - the main subject can be big or it can be small. In my photography I like to show the animal in its habitat, and wherever possible, a very pretty or impressive habitat. It is because of this that people have called me a wildlife photographer who thinks like a landscape photographer.

In this case I was not interested in photographing the vulture up close. I know what a vulture looks like - I've seen thousands of images of them, usually up close and with lots of feather detail. It was the combination of that perfect tree and the incredible sunset that made me want to photograph this vulture. The fact that it broke outside the outline of the tree and that the shape of the vulture was very recognizable even at a very small size, convinced me to use it as small as I have.

I agree that this image would still work without the vulture, but for me it's the vulture that brings the shot to life. The vulture has changed the scene from a landscape into a home. I hope this better explains my views.

Thanks for your comments.

Simply awesome !!