Yellowstone Pelicans

Gallery: AvianPosted November 19, 201593 views14 comments

Sorry for my absence the last few days. We had a major windstorm Tuesday and lost power for a couple of days (we fared far better than a lot of people).

This is one I noticed in the files from 2014. This was just a drive-around day for us and we ended up going down to the lake. If I recall correctly there was a bridge crossing an arm of the lake here. I liked the geometry of the logs as much as the pelicans, but I also liked the geometry formed by their poses.

1D4, 500mm f4 ISL + 2.0TC, Jobu Gimbal on RRS legs, f/8, 1/2500, iso 400, aperture priority, pattern metering, -2/3 stop compensation to keep from blowing out the pelicans. Processed in LR5 & CS6. Cropped to 9.4 Mpixels. Taken June 16th, 2014 at 1:18 pm.

I appreciate your commentst on the last Red-tailed post and look forward to your input on this one.

Thanks,

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on November 19, 2015 at 4:52 PM

I like how the lines of the logs are similar to the lines the pelicans form. Nicely seen and taken. Also like that you have some detail in the whites of the pelicans. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have no more power outages.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on November 19, 2015 at 6:45 PM

I think this works pretty well Dennis. I think the how lines of the snag and the Pelicans form together to make a great image. I also like that the water goes dark in the background, it keeps attention up front. There is sharp detail in the pelicans, whites look good and they look pretty relaxed too. Nice work! devil

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on November 20, 2015 at 12:13 AM

I REALLY like this one, Dennis! The comp, detail and wonderful perch make this very special, IMO. Sure, the intruding branch on the right isn't exactly welcomed I'm sure, but it's certainly not a deal-breaker either. Nice habitat and behavior shot!

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on November 20, 2015 at 1:37 PM

Great pose collection here. I really like the comp and the way you have focused attention on the pelicans. Nice capture.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by Sharron Sims on November 20, 2015 at 1:50 PM

I really like this composition. The pelicans are together but positioned in a complimentary way. The logs have an appealing shape. Together they create a very nice image.

Registered on April 28, 2014, 54 Posts, 166 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on November 20, 2015 at 2:10 PM

Hi Dennis, can only 'second guess', but was there an opportunity of moving more to the left? Personally I find the 'logs' a bit distracting and draws the eye away from the main subjects - the Pelicans. Just having them off centre and on the sand bank would have been nice. Avoiding blowing the whites, just keep checking the Histogram. Good choice with the MKIV in good light, just gave you the extra reach, likewise nice techs, especially keeping the SS high. Using the Gard filter in LR will help balance out the FG and a quick fix.

TFS
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on November 20, 2015 at 3:33 PM

I think the branches add a lot of interest to this one Dennis. nice interaction between the Pelicans as well.

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

Comment posted by Max Waugh on November 20, 2015 at 6:46 PM

Very nice work with the exposure, and I like this little island popping out of the darker tones in the river.

It's always hard to tell for sure using water as a guide, but the ripples all look slanted in this. Can't tell if it really requires some clockwise rotation or not. The pelicans, at least look fairly straight, so it's probably a bit of an optical illusion.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on November 20, 2015 at 7:26 PM

I like it Dennis, interesting perch and nice job on the whites devil

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on November 20, 2015 at 8:31 PM

Very cool photo of these pelicans posing for you on a photogenic perch Dennis. Excellent composition.

Sweet One laugh

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on November 21, 2015 at 6:07 AM

Dennis,

The comp is wonderful--I like the diagonal of the branch that frames the group of pelicans. The dark bg also makes the subject elements more prominent..............................Jim

Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on November 23, 2015 at 6:13 PM

Wonderful scene here Dennis, I like the perch. Excellent composition. Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Ramy on November 23, 2015 at 9:51 PM

Hey Dennis,
This is no doubt one of my favorites from your impressive Gallery. It is so interesting on so many levels and such a well crafted image . . . laugh

Registered on June 16, 2012, 567 Posts, 2809 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on November 24, 2015 at 1:55 PM

I like the mix of sticks and pelicans.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments