A black and white Brown Pelican
Oct 18, 2016 13:30:30 #
I suppose I could have titled this post, "What's black and white, and brown all over?"
Last week, at Pismo Beach, I was shooting humpback whales. While waiting for the whales to surface, I noticed some Brown Pelicans flying by. If the light is perfect, a Brown Pelican can make for an interesting photo, because its face is a lot more colorful than its name would imply. But, the light has to be just right, and it wasn't. The shots were okay, but nothing to write home about. Most of them had a combination of ocean and drab sky as a background. One shot, though, featured the bird with only a bright, blue and white sky as a background. Immediately, I thought of a black and white treatment.
Last week, at Pismo Beach, I was shooting humpback whales. While waiting for the whales to surface, I noticed some Brown Pelicans flying by. If the light is perfect, a Brown Pelican can make for an interesting photo, because its face is a lot more colorful than its name would imply. But, the light has to be just right, and it wasn't. The shots were okay, but nothing to write home about. Most of them had a combination of ocean and drab sky as a background. One shot, though, featured the bird with only a bright, blue and white sky as a background. Immediately, I thought of a black and white treatment.
Oct 18, 2016 13:38:24 #
Terrific detail in the sunlit wing. A distinctive bird profile that is interesting to look at. I love that the sky is soft and non-competing. Agree that the b&w is a great choice here!
Oct 18, 2016 13:40:02 #
Nice exposure, sharp focus, and great shutter speed.
--Bob
--Bob
Anvil wrote:
I suppose I could have titled this post, "Wha... (show quote)
Oct 18, 2016 13:43:05 #
Thanks! It was one of those times when my first impulse was for black and white.
Oct 18, 2016 23:16:35 #
Frank2013
Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.
Nice one Anvil....I always enjoy a levelish perspective.
Oct 19, 2016 06:14:30 #
Actually one of my favorite birds to photograph...they always seem like clowns teasing us, to me...great shot..perfect in B&W !!
Oct 19, 2016 09:42:36 #
Thanks, all!
A level perspective, with a bird in flight, is something that, for me, only comes around once in a while. Usually, the BIFs are over my head. No matter how high I hike, the birds of prey are still quite high. Unless I'm without a camera. Then, they are only 20 feet above me.
The Brown Pelican is one of my favorite birds to photograph, as well. They have a lot of character in their faces.
A level perspective, with a bird in flight, is something that, for me, only comes around once in a while. Usually, the BIFs are over my head. No matter how high I hike, the birds of prey are still quite high. Unless I'm without a camera. Then, they are only 20 feet above me.
The Brown Pelican is one of my favorite birds to photograph, as well. They have a lot of character in their faces.
Oct 19, 2016 09:48:56 #
I like the image and your selection of a B&W version is what makes it happen. Pundits would say the light is not good, the bird is flying away from you, etc, and they would be right from a traditional perspective. But the background is wonderful and, once again, the shape of the bird in B&W makes for a great image. Nice post and Thx for sharing.
Oct 19, 2016 10:05:09 #
Thanks! I am aware that the purists would have tossed that shot, because the bird is flying away, generally speaking. I've tossed many shots like that, myself. However, I do, occasionally, find myself drawn to shots that, according to the rules, should be tossed. Everyone wants to see the bird's face, and I am no different, but if I get a shot that shows the bird's face in all its glory, the face is usually captured at the expense of the bird's other notable feature -- its wings. If I get the wings, even at the expense of a keeper face shot, it seems to show the grace of the bird in flight. I think I may even have kept several shots of Great Blue Herons flying directly away from me, simply because the wings were so nicely exposed.
Oct 19, 2016 10:11:43 #
Anvil wrote:
Thanks! I am aware that the purists would have to... (show quote)
Your liking it is really all that matters, in my opinion.
Oct 19, 2016 14:53:55 #
Decades ago I read that the main time it's critical to get the eye in focus is on animals we are not familiar with. A generalization, but you could apply it to the "must see face/don't shoot flying away" discussion.
Pelicans and great blue herons both have such distinctive profiles, even a silhouette can be super-interesting.
Pundits, purists...puhh. Boring!
Pelicans and great blue herons both have such distinctive profiles, even a silhouette can be super-interesting.
Pundits, purists...puhh. Boring!
Oct 19, 2016 16:44:16 #
Many of my bobcat shots show the southbound end of a northbound cat, but I keep some of those because they contribute to the story of the chase. Of course, if I get a cat leaping, even if it shows no face, at all, I'll keep it, if it is sharp. It shows the critter doing what it does best.
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