This is not, of course, going to win any exclusive camera straps, and may not even finish in the top half of the challenge. It's been that kind of year.
I don't know that this is the "best" picture I took last year, but I liked it well enough to have it printed on canvas and it is on my wall. And it rocks.
Did better than expected - thank you for all the wonderful comments! And thanks for the hand, Don. Very much appreciated.
Statistics
Place: 157 out of 410 Avg (all users): 6.0304 Avg (commenters): 7.5417 Avg (participants): 6.0995 Avg (non-participants): 5.6923 Views since voting: 1010 Views during voting: 435 Votes: 230 Comments: 39 Favorites: 7 (view)
I didn't get to comment as much as I'd have liked to in this challenge. I loved this Deb! The brilliant spotlight on the pelican is just so awesome! I can't believe a score over 6 ended up in the triple digits. Congrats on the bling too!
Deb! Where are the pigeons?! Ooh - maybe you can get one to take a Woody for a ride for Art's challenge, Better start training one now :-p. Or you can just expand your repertoire to include flying fisherman. That would work for me, too.
Congrats on pulling a 6 score in a Best of challenge. Not too shabby.
Congrats on the Red Hand!!! You see... you DID add a picture to your front page!!!!
And look at those comments!!
"Critical stuff: I can't think of a thing."
Great stuff.
Wow, Deb!!! BLING! Congrats for that and a 6+ score. You did MUCH better than you expected, and what wonderful comments. To me it looks like he's saying "outta my way!"
I underestimated this (but absolutely nicht drei!). My only excuse is that I just didn't see at it. I looked at it, yes, but didn't see. I am sorry for my failure, but pleased to have this second chance. And congrats on the well deserved Hand of the Dead Guy. He often gives me a second chance.
Melethias meus, ex toto corde paenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum.
Don't know why I didn't comment before considering this is one of my 10s. And I don't give out 10s this easy but there was no choice of not giving it to this pic. It's so surreal.
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.
Positives: I know this is yours Deb, but that isn't going to stop me giving this a comment and a score. Loads of lovely elements here - the pristinely sharp pelican, the long shadows, the gradient in the contrast as it washes out with the sun as the eye tracks up the frame, the degree t which the pelican remains aloof from the crowd and the way the fishermen pay it no heed. Then there's the toning - how absolutely perfectly judged.
Drawn to the alluring sound of the surf
Chugger squawked, "Strange birds invaded my turf!"
He uttered with displeasure,
Look et'em, flapping about in leisure.
Who needs sticks and line,
when you have a beak like mine.
I can catch two or more at a time
which is way more then your hook and twine.
Nice juxtaposition of nature and man competing for resources. The pelican looks on at the people flapping about catching fish. I feel like he is annoyed and also scoffing at the silly way we catch our prey. I picture him here as a grumpy old bird...but then he has a right to complain because humans have invaded his turf and now it is a competition.
Haha, nice title. I wouldn't have gotten that impression of this shot without the title so I think it's very fitting. Also nice processing and use of focus. The attention is definitely on the bird.
Good title and nice image, the focus on the pelican is nice and clear, looks like he is waiting for the fishermen to start disturbing the water and sending up the fish!
and he seems to be pouting at them... as a little kid who is not accepted by a gang of older kids to play (or fish) with them... "I can catch fish too!"
lovely composition with this long diagonal shadows
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