Pelican Playschool, a photo from New South Wales, East

Photographer's Note

ENGLISH: Here are some pelicans feeding at Woy Woy on the Central Coast of New South Wales, about 80 kilometres north of Sydney. I know that Craig thinks I make these strange names up, but the place was named by the Darkinjung Aboriginal people and means "big lagoon". Some of the suburb names in the area are quite unusual, such as Down a Mountain, Kangy Angy, Tumbi Umbi and Ettalong. You can watch the pelicans be fed in Woy Woy at 3pm every day. The ladies who feed and care for these beautiful creatures do it for love - not for money. But any donations are gratefully received.

In my WS is a wider view of them.

I took this with a 70-200mm lens which allows you to zoom in on them, but doesn't really allow enough room. I think I cut the frame too tight at the left hand side.

ITALIANO: Si tratta di Woy Woy nella Costiera Centrale di Nuovo Galles del Sud, circa 80 chilometri nord da Sydney. L'inabitanti originali sono stati il tribo Darkinjung. La nome significa in Aborigene "grande laguna". Potete vedere queste bei pelicani ogni giorno alle 3 di pomeriggio.

Canon 5D
f/7.1
1/400
ISO 200
159 mm

dip, PaulVDV, macjake, besnard, ikeharel, SnapRJW, jjcordier, phwall, francio64, Atousa, tyro, timecapturer, king, baddori, Kofman, MJR, MJR, kiks has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

adores (46979) 2011-08-15 17:11

Hi Lisa!
Seems you got a whole family together:)! I really like these birds and your photo is very good, with a very good focus on them. They really look like waiting for food:)!

npecanhuk (79329) 2011-08-15 17:20

Ciao Lisa!
Cute birds!
Beautiful and lovely picture!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, chosen pov and composition are great!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

skippy007 (12510) 2011-08-15 17:47

Ciao cara Lisa, Cute birds, I have also just posted a couple, maybe not as cute as these but I know which I prefer ;) Nice clear & sharp capture, I like the repetitive pattern. You have some funny names for places out your way, Brava.
Ciao
Santo

rlrad (1845) 2011-08-15 18:07

Wow, Lisa, this is an award winner here! The natural graphism shown by the arrangement of their heads and beaks is really eye-catching. It's practically an optical illusion or I've had a couple beers... Well, ok, I've always had a couple beers, but this one really grabbed me. Well seen!

Have a great day,

Reed

photoray (13981) 2011-08-15 18:35

Kowabunga Lisa,

I am very impressed by your exotic pelicans, and your
image optimizes their unique coloring, patterns, and their pastel and colorful beaks, with huge eyes.

Our California brown pelicans are earth toned, but very graceful when flying. Inland lakes may have white pelicans.

Well done, cheers,
and enjoy the last of Winter,
Calray

dip (21408) 2011-08-15 20:14

Ciao Lisa!
a really lovely shot with very good sharpness and lighting,
excellent captured!
Ciao,
Dmitris.

i9l2y1m8a8t3 (4814) 2011-08-15 20:41

Hi Lisa!

Perfect capture! the timing, moment, and framing, such flawless composition! Love the clarity and the wonderfully exposed image, which gives great details on this lovely pelicans. Boy, such wonderful black and yellow eyes they have! Superb!

Have a great day!
Matt

PaulVDV (62804) 2011-08-15 21:15

Hello Lisa,
Very beautiful, charming, clear and sharp picture. Great graphical effect.
Best regards, Paul

jugnutoor (1017) 2011-08-15 22:27

Hi Lisa, Its a beautiful shot of the Pelicans, their yellow dotted curious look so amusing. Well it is the dilemma of long lenses that you can only capture a small frame, but i think Pelicans might also be moving making it difficult to include them in the frame.

regards
Jugnu Toor

macjake (98262) 2011-08-15 22:34

Hi Lisa
cute cute cute!
how could anyone not fall in love with these guys!
I wouldn't be too fussy about the left side,
actually the close up view is the best way to photograph these guys...its like a collage.
just curious...how do you tell a male from a female pelican? just an inner thought...
and yeah, the names are wild! Woy Woy!
have a great one
craig

besnard (59196) 2011-08-15 22:56

Bonjour Lisa
Une tr鋊 belle composition d'une grande nettet�. Une v廨itable oeuvre d'art.
Bravo et bonne journ嶪.
Nicole

SnapRJW (31631) 2011-08-15 23:31

Hello Lisa - This is an exceptional shot. The fine colour detail captured in the pelicans' beaks is fabulous and the repetitive shapes of beak and eyes combined with the B&W feathers lend a strong graphic feel to the shot. Quite extraordinary that you managed to capture the beaks all at virtually the same angle!Lovely. best regards Rosemary

jjcordier (79299) 2011-08-15 23:33

Lisa
La vue plus large est sympa mais cette vue serr� sur ces longs becs est plus originale et donne une photo vraiment attrayante.
Amicalement
JJ

emka (157280) 2011-08-15 23:41

Ciao Lisa,

Wonderful pelicans, they are something like swans in our European countries. Famntastic co mposition, looks like a drawing. Excellent photo.

Warm regards

Malgo

PS. I know how to rotate an image. I loooked at the tower to be vertical, and this is OK.

sevy (58) 2011-08-15 23:50

Hello Lisa,

I like a lot Pelican, not because they walked strangely on ground, but because of the special and attractive eyes they have. It is easily checkable on your shot ;-)

Yves.

phwall (6787) 2011-08-15 23:57

Dearest,
The 70-200 eh, thought it was too heavy for a frail little thing like you to carry around.
Good group shot, yes, too tight on the left of frame, see the workshop.
Always a pleasure to admire your work.
I thought you Curl Curl girls could always tell the difference, you must have had a sheltered childhood.

Regards
Pietro the lurgy ridden

[workshop] [compare] +

francio64 (39888) 2011-08-16 0:25

Hi Lisa,
questo � un bel colpo lo sai?
Hai ripreso questi "pennuti" in un modo davvero bello, dando grafismo all'immagine.
Ottima la gestione della luce e anche lo sharp.
Il mare in BG fa da ottimo sfondo.
Peccato per la testa tagliata del pellicano in alto a sinistra e anche il becco dell'altro, troppo vicino alla cornice, ma qui quello che conta � l'attimo.
Un secondo di pi� per cercare un POV pi� ampio e avresti potuto rischiare di perdere la scena.

Peccato non aver visto questi pellicani quando sono venuto a Sydney.
Non ho mai visto un pellicano in real life.

Bene, adesso devo lasciarti. Vado a fare una visit� al mio pap�.

Ti auguro un buon pomeriggio.
Cicc

Atousa (7131) 2011-08-16 0:46

Salam Lisa,

A nice shot of these lovely creatures.. I like their funny eyes n other excellent details.. great colors n quality.. well done.. tfs
Best regards, Atousa

Bartleby (13552) 2011-08-16 1:14

Hi Lisa,
yep the tight framing works really well! They look funny that way. I agree about the bit on the left but ah well, no biggie...

Philippe

tyro (30513) 2011-08-16 1:48

Hello Lisa,

This is indeed a "Nature" shot but, I'm afraid, it also has a humorous side to it too. Or am I just being silly?

My Mum used to say, "What a wonderful bird is a pelican; it's beak can hold more than it's belly can." - one of her many quaint little sayings which she would trot out at any appropriate time. Like her wonderful "Italian" phrase, "Ice-a-da-cream-a-da-cool-a-da-belly."!

The composition here is superb, the birds all looking, or at least pointing, in the same direction, the symmetry of their long strange beaks making strong diagonal lines across the frame. Those eyes are so sharply in focus that they almost look as though they are painted on the sides of their heads. And the fuzzy stubble on the backs of their heads is so cute.

Fabulous colours and wonderful detail and sharpness.

Fabulous!

Kind Regards,

John.

mkamionka (73470) 2011-08-16 3:24

Ciao Lisa,
regardless what I said before, pelicans are my favourite birds. Well it is hard because I like penguins and puffins as well and some other species too. But pelicans are surely in top three on my list.
I can stare at them forever. Especially when they are fishing. They seem so strange in everyday's life yet while fishing they are so graceful and fast and efficient. Something like inspector Colombo, strange looking but a brilliant mind. My personal hero :)

So ebven having one of them would be fantastic but you have here several and in a similar pose as if copy and pasted. The most beautiful repeated element ever!

I have captured some of them in California in May but just passing by and the photos are not that good.
I am so jealous or simply glad that I can enjoy them in your photos.
TFS
M

Longroute (19600) 2011-08-16 4:03

...Still at home for a while, got the time to look at this lovely one!

My first reaction was: oh my! where do they come from! Do you have so many pelicans in Australia? I confess that I've never seen one in my life! We don't have them here.
Well, it's really an impressive and beautiful photo. To see them all together and so close up make a wonderful composition where their funny eyes, heads and beaks make an interesting repeated pattern. What one calls a strong visual impact!

Well captured,
Donato

ikeharel (112497) 2011-08-16 5:25

Hello dear Lisa,
You always one step ahead of me, when I get to see all my critiques...
Wonderful those Pelicans, as well in the WS, amazing pink beaks and inquisitive eye's. Admireable POV, really - especially where I can see every feather they have...
Good night in AU,
Ike

*** Soon I'll post a mini-series following a walk in San-Gimignano... incredible town for photographers.

timecapturer (49288) 2011-08-16 5:44

Hi Lisa
love this! it is such a clever and perfect crop. Superb execution with flawless light, colours and dazzling clarity. Absolutely wonderful imagery!

Regards - Brian

king (4242) 2011-08-16 7:52

Hello Lisa.
In spite of the left side cropping this is a very nice picture. I like the clours and the sharpness.
TFS
Huub.

dkmurphys (79209) 2011-08-16 13:40

Ciao Lisa,
Beautiful wildlife scene. We have also here those kind of scenes in the Danube Delta.
Great catch, have a lovely day.

baddori (20341) 2011-08-16 23:46

Lisa
Mare pescoso e nei secoli zone poco abitate.
La colonia scrivi � vasto , e vi � una cultura che preserva e ambiente e fauna.
La foto ..di gruppo , esalta questi animali con livrea e becco colorati ...quasi in mostra statica .
GF

janneman (4037) 2011-08-17 0:24

Really nice composition.
The pelicans seem almost graphic!

Regards, Jan

MJR (3360) 2011-08-17 14:08

LIsa
What a wonderful picture.
Cartoon like, ( there is probably a 'juste mot' that John could provide... ) this has an unreal air to it. The, to me, wierd shapes and colours, makes it look just like a picture from Cuties' story books ! Set against the beautiful reflections in the water really gives it an other worldly air. And you say you dont do wildlife ! The lady doth protest too much, methinks ! ( Hamlet 111,ii,242 !! )
Delightful. And a fine note to accompany it. Its lovely to think in this world that there folk looking after these birds for love, not money. How refreshing !

Your studies etc must be behind you for a bit - lots of posts coming our way from Oz !
best wishes
Martin.

PS this looks much better on my home PC than my work Mac, I think I need a little adjustment for colour on one or the other...
PPS French AND Shakespeare in one critique - beat that !! ( Italian doesn't count, its nearly your native tongue ! )

abmdsudi (95869) 2011-08-18 7:31

Hi Lisa
A wonderful bird is the Pelican, it's beak can hold more than it's belly can.
I find this image absolutely awe inspiring, the warmth and incredible detail are just wonderful. That's a really bold image and so little noise to the background, great detail in the plumage too. Beautifully sharp and a great pose in nice tight crop with good dof. Brilliant colour and texture, not the most handsome of birds but an excellent capture and you must have been really pleased with tis shot. Great finishing touches and very worthy of all your hard work. Congrats
Best regards

chawax (20764) 2011-08-18 13:00

Hi Lisa,
A funny view on these pelicans. It looks like their eyes were drawn and are not natural, it's very surprising.
Regards,
Olivier

Ricx (13495) 2011-08-18 13:04

Dear Lisa, an amazing bird- with such strong and different colours- the eyes look like drawings.. so well captured.. sharp and detailed.. your title and note are great fun TFS Rich

Silvio1953 (220697) 2011-08-18 14:27

Ciao Lisa, fantastica anche questa foto di gruppo, i Pellicani si son messi in gran posa per te e tu ne hai approfittato per fare una foto splendida, ottima nitidezza e bei dettagli, bravissima, ciao Silvio

kiks (12805) 2011-08-27 14:25

HI Lisa, lovely creatures indeed and the pattern on the bicks and the yes look like a painting. Amazing how moether nature create such beautiful creatures. I agree that you crop to much on theleft but on the ws de composition is perfect.
Best regards
KIKs

marcan44 (6315) 2011-10-12 3:54

Lisa,
avevi ragione di ricordare che l� vicino c'erano i pellicani.
Grazie della condivisione! uno scatto da non perdere per la simpatica visione di questi uccelli acquatici.
Il becco con le tonalit� rosa e gli occhi cerchiati di giallo sono riprodotti splendidamente.
Anche il WS Image #1 wider view � molto bello.
Bellissima presentazione
Ancora una buona giornata!
Mario