Cormorant portrait

Gallery: AvianPosted December 15, 2013127 views11 comments

I encountered the beautiful juvenile double-crested cormorant this morning and slowly approached as I began shooting. He was very tolerant of my presence and I probably got about a hundred shots of every manner of pose full-body and portrait with mouth open, etc. I was particularly intrigued with the portrait in that the species has such interesting eyes - not only a beautiful blue color, but an interesting ring around the eye. Finally the bird showed off its fishing prowess to me very close to where I had been shooting. Of all the shots, this one was my favorite highlighting the beautiful eyes of the bird. The lighting was not great in that it was an overcast morning.

Shot with a Canon 70D, 100-400 L lens at 400 mm, f5.6, 1/2000 at ISO 2000

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by David Bogener on December 16, 2013 at 11:33 AM

Nice portrait Sandy. The background color really compliments the subject. Dave

Registered on October 30, 2013, 417 Posts, 1255 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on December 16, 2013 at 11:56 AM

Nice portrait. A bit tight in the frame for my tastes. You mention the lighting was not great. I'll take overcast skies most days over clear skies for this kind of work.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 16, 2013 at 1:26 PM

Thanks Dave - I lucked out on the background. That is actually the way it came out of the camera, but I couldn't have set up a more appropriate backdrop if it was shot in a studio!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 16, 2013 at 1:30 PM

Thanks Keith. I am just a nut over those tight, frame filling portraits of animals. It's either a phase I'm going through or it might even be permanent, but I just love to shoot them that way. I did get about a hundred shots of this guy from every imaginable angle from full wing spread, tight portraits, more of the kind of portraits you would probably prefer and then even swimming, but I just loved this one and will probably turn it into a wall hanger. Having said that, I keep vacillating in that I have one with his mouth open and other portraits that I love. On the UHH photographic forum, I posted 5 different portraits seeking opinions on which on people would print if they could print only one, and unfortunately, I didn't solve the issue in that the voting was all over the place.

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on December 16, 2013 at 6:36 PM

Nice closeup and some solid detail. I really like the background color on this one and how it makes the blue in the eye pop

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 16, 2013 at 7:54 PM

Thanks Luke, but I am going nuts trying to decide which one I want to print in that they are all very similar but with different poses. Same coloration, etc., but for example, in one he is pointing his head up with his mouth open hence the interest of action. I have 7 distinct shots including one which he has turned about a quarter turn towards the camera. I wish I always had this problem with my photos!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on December 16, 2013 at 10:24 PM

Nice portrait...like the BG as well.

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

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 16, 2013 at 10:48 PM

Thanks Kurt - I really lucked out on the BG - that really surprised me when I pulled it out of the camera. I wish I would have planned it that way!!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on December 17, 2013 at 1:02 AM

Great detail Sandy

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on December 17, 2013 at 1:30 AM

Sandy,
These are such remarkable eyes, great capture

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 17, 2013 at 7:47 AM

Rob & Ken, thanks so much! I hope this is okay, but I have a version very similar with the accept ion of the bird's mouth being open. When I took a survey on another forum, that one seemed to be the favorite. I hope it is okay to post in the comments, if not, Keith please let me know.

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments