This is one of my outtakes for the Birds challenge. The problem for me with this photo is the grain - shot at ISO 800 - and there's not a lot I could do with noise ninja to remove it without really softening up the image and losing a lot of detail.
I lost my bottle and didn't submit something else - edgier and more risky - so I'm failing my own manifesto by letting my conscience guide me to what I think will connect with more people.
PP: convert from raw, levels, tonemapped the left hand side to try to diminish the distracting other pelican and create more contrast with the background on the right, contrast, noise ninja, border, resize, usm, save for web.
No preditions on this one as I think it's a nice photo but nothing that special, so anything average in 5.5 to 5.8 will be fine - but fingers crossed it will tickle a enough people past the grain and into a 6.
Post Challenge: Wahey! 2nd 7 and 2nd 4th place in a week. I don't know whether that's unlucky to do two 7s without ribboning in a week or very cool!! Shooting birds at the zoo is definitely like shooting fish in a barrel :)
p.s. And it's a perfect 7 too.
Original unedited version:
Got loads of nice outtakes. Will dig through them and post a few later.
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This is fantastic. Belated congratulations to you for the very nice placement, but especially for the image. I'm just going through your portfolio now and really enjoying myself. What a capture this one is!
You definitely did the right thing in going with what you thought would connect with more people. This is a great capture. Poor fish. Oh well, circle of life.
"I think it's a nice photo but nothing that special," - no, Nick, it is something special! For me what makes this photo is the eye connection between the flamingo and the fish - a superb capture and well worthy of the 4th place - congratulations.
At first glance I was wondering why in the heck you didn't submit this photo to the bird challange, but I checked out you entry and your other bird one is a favorite. Actually I can't decide. Both are such great shots I've never seen. I think the tight crop works really well here and the expression of the fish really adds to the photo. Another zoo shot? (cheater) .....jk
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