Bird Photo Competition 1 2013 : Entry Number 541

Judges Comment

Good framing and strong eye contact make for an engaging and humorous portrait.

Photographers Comment

Taken with a Canon EOS 7D on Galveston Island, Texas. This Eastern Brown Pelican sat on a shrimper, cowering under its wings from a cold Northerner. I wanted to get a head-shot, which proved difficult because I had no tripod and nowhere to lean my 500mm lense. I also wanted the focus on the eye but still enough aperture to show texture in the feathers. In the end I tied myself to a rope of a second fishing boat and swung back and forth, hoping for a calm hand. Except for minor cropping I did not have to do any significant post processing work. My name is Irene Quiroga and I live in Galveston, Texas. Nature and wildlife photography are my main focus and I incorporate it whenever possible in my journalistic work.
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