Almost Bird Photo Contest Image Thread

[Noel_Carboni]

I don't know about you, but I had some trouble picking ONE image to put into the photo contest.

I've seen other competitions where there's a companion "exhibition" thread, and I've always enjoyed looking through those images, sometimes more than the contest. Let's see the image or images you almost but DIDN'T post in the May contest thread. Or just bird images you like.

NO limit on the number of images you can post here, you DON'T have to have entered the contest to post here, and comments are encouraged. Make the images about 800 pixels on the long side please.

Here's the one I almost posted...



So... Let's see your bird photos!

-Noel

[jeffcable]

Originally Posted by Noel_Carboni

I don't know about you, but I had some trouble picking ONE image to put into the photo contest.

I've seen other competitions where there's a companion "exhibition" thread, and I've always enjoyed looking through those images, sometimes more than the contest. Let's see the image or images you almost but DIDN'T post in the May contest thread. Or just bird images you like.

NO limit on the number of images you can post here, you DON'T have to have entered the contest to post here, and comments are encouraged. Make the images about 800 pixels on the long side please.

Here's the one I almost posted...



So... Let's see your bird photos!

-Noel

Interesting idea, Noel. I like the way the bill in your image is just outside the frame.

Two more images to add to the pile...
Jeff

[Noel_Carboni]

Thanks, Jeff. I like your raptor, especially the contrast in texture between the bird and the stump. The hint of a green plant between the lens and bird gives the feeling of looking out from a blind.

-Noel

[jeffcable]

Originally Posted by Noel_Carboni

Thanks, Jeff. I like your raptor, especially the contrast in texture between the bird and the stump. The hint of a green plant between the lens and bird gives the feeling of looking out from a blind.

-Noel

I did not see the edge of the green plant intruding into the frame, when I was sneaking up on this creature in a forest that was given over to a bird sanctuary, in France. I had been waiting patiently for the bird to ignore me moving nearer and then its attention was caught by something scurrying around in the undergrowth. I was lucky enough to capture the one image before it moved into a more sheltered location

Tech stuff... ISO 800 because it was fairly gloomy under the forest canopy and 1/500th second using the Canon 135mm f/2.0L at an aperture of f/2.0. I have really come to love that lens.

[TimRucci]

I messed up with this and now I cannot get the text to go up above the images, so I guess it will just have to stay here.

That's a really nice osprey shot you entered in the contest, Noel... usually we don't see them that close up.

Nice idea you had about posting some additional images. I think in most of those image challenges, the 'exhibition' images are those that were not shot during the time frame of the contest, but in this forum, there so far has not been any restriction on when the images were created.

Here's a couple of my extra images ....
Burrowing Owl (above) from Brian Piccolo Park in Pembrook Pines, and a Cormorant headshot (below) from Anhinga Trail (Everglades National Park).

[Noel_Carboni]

Thanks, Tim. The little owl with the daisy would make a dynamite Mother's Day card! And one can really begin to imagine cormorants descending from dinosaurs looking at your second shot.

The osprey in my other shot was sitting on a light post overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on a pier in For Clinch State Park (which coincidentally is near where you took your Maria Sharapova shots) just as the sun was coming up. Amazingly, he let me approach him slowly and patiently until I got close enough to fill the frame with him through my 100-400 zoom. The fog had wet his feathers.



-Noel