Long Beach Pelican

To escape the heat I took a quick trip over to Long Beach. The pelicans were out in force and although the lighting wasn’t optimal I was able to capture a few acceptable images. Comment and critiques please.

Canon 5D
Sigma 120mm-300mm, telextender, and polarizer.

Being a bird man myself, I'm into this one! Very nice David. You captured a great pose, and the light and detail on the bird is very nice. I'd prefer a little less empty space on the right. I tend to prefer more empty space when the bird is in an active pose, leaving the space gives a feeling of motion. When the bird is in a stationary pose, as this one appears to be grooming, I prefer less.

I too like this shot Dave, but I agree with John somewhat about the empty space. I think this particular scene would be more compelling as a vertical composition.

I think you did pretty well w/ the light you have here. Nice and sharp. I kind of like the open space, mostly because I think the "crashing" wave is an important element here.
The more I look at it, the more I like it.

Such an improbable looking creature; I love these birds. And I think this is a wonderful shot. Another opinion for you-- I like the idea of a crop to a square. Anyway, great shot; sounds like a fun day.

I'm also in the square crop group.... I would love to have this in my portfolio. Very cool!!

Nicely composed. I like the aperture used and the background shows its enviroment.