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Hitchock's crow


Hitchock's crow
Photo Information
Copyright: Michel Pilon (pilonm) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 546 W: 99 N: 818] (2667)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2006-09-09
Categories: Birds
Camera: Panasonic DMC FZ - 20 LUMIX, Leica 36-432mm
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-12-18 7:51
Viewed: 800
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello,

I took that picture on a windy, grey, cold and rainy day of fall at Lachine's canal near Montreal. The only manipulation I did was to turn the grey sky in sepia... That crow let me approach him enough to take this picture... It looks like all the pain of the world is upon his shoulders...

Hope you'll like this artistic experimentation :-)

Michel

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Widespread, common, and obvious, the American Crow is known by most people. What is less well known is how complex its life is. Young crows remain with their parents until they can find a home of their own, and individual relationships may last years.

Cool Facts

American Crows congregate in large numbers in winter to sleep in communal roosts. These roosts can be of a few hundred, several thousand, or even up to two million crows. Some roosts have been forming in the same general area for well over 100 years. In the last few decades some of these roosts have moved into urban areas where the noise and mess cause conflicts with people.


Young American Crows do not breed until they are at least two years old, and most do not breed until they are four or more. In most, but not all, populations the young stay with their parents and help them raise young in subsequent years. Families may include up to 15 individuals and contain young from five different years.


The American Crow appears to be the biggest victim of West Nile virus, a disease recently introduced to North America. Crows die within one week of infection, and few seem able to survive exposure. No other North American bird is dying at the same rate from the disease, and the loss of crows in some areas has been severe.


In some areas, the American Crow has a double life. It maintains a territory year-round in which all members of its extended family live and forage together. But during much of the year, individual crows leave the home territory periodically. They join large flocks foraging at dumps and agricultural fields, and sleep in large roosts in winter. Family members go together to the flocks, but do not stay together in the crowd. A crow may spend part of the day at home with its family in town and the rest with a flock feeding on waste grain out in the country.


Despite being a common exploiter of roadkill, the American Crow is not specialized to be a scavenger, and carrion is only a very small part of its diet. Its stout bill is not strong enough to break through the skin of even a gray squirrel. It must wait for something else to open a carcass or for the carcass to decompose and become tender enough to eat.
ellis49, Alex99, claudine, ramthakur, volkan, blakitan, clnaef, scottevers7, metcher, horia, peter_stoeckl has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To peter_stoeckl: Thank you, Peterpilonm 1 12-26 09:46
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Michel,
when I saw the thumbnail I think it was church weathercock :-)
it's a lovely silhouette of the Crow, the sepia is colours is nice and work well here. Goog details and well composed.
Well done.

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3029 W: 148 N: 4520] (14595)
  • [2006-12-18 8:51]

Hi Michel.
This is photography too in spite of the fact that it reminds graphic picture more. Perfect captured scene and pose of the crow. Excellent composition and framing. Very good result of manipulation with BG colours. Really art work. My compliments and welcome your creative experiments.
Alexei.

Salut Michel,
C'est très réussi comme expérimentation artistique, bravo! Le titre est très bien choisi car c'est vraiment cette impression que l'on ressent à la vue de cette image; elle semble sortie directement d'une scène de The Birds ;) J'aime beaucoup cette prise de vue et composition et même si l'oiseau est représenté que par sa silhouette, on voit très bien les différents détails de son plumage. Bravo!
Claudine

The silhoeutted figure of this crow does convey the impression that it is burdened with the sorrows of the world, Michel!
Converesely, it could be bracing itself against the chill wind :-)!
Well, it IS an artistic creation all the same.
Ram

  • Great 
  • marcin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 126 W: 0 N: 155] (1371)
  • [2006-12-18 11:27]

hello Michel
faktycznie artystyczne zdjecie, obiekt widac w ciekawej pozie, wyrazny, a tlo sefia. Calosc dalo bardzo fajny efekt,
pozdrawiam i gratuluje pomyslu

Yes, I like it.
Really nice, well composed and managed.
Andrea

  • Great 
  • volkan Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 422 W: 16 N: 1044] (6202)
  • [2006-12-18 14:38]

Hi Michel,
Very nice compo.
It reminds of the 'Birds'film by Hitchcock.
Great job.
TFS

Hi Michel,
Very nice shilhouette. Great composition. Nice colors.
Nicely done.

Ben Lakitan

  • Great 
  • clnaef Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 762 W: 58 N: 629] (6452)
  • [2006-12-18 16:21]

Bonsoir,
Magnifique silhouette.
Bonne soirée.
clnaef

Hi Michel,
I love your artistic composition. Nice sharp silhouette and the conversion to sepia on the backround looks great. I like the space you gave the photo.
Scott

hi michel,
nice shot,
well composed,
lovely pov, well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

Hi, Michel.
Nice shot. Beautiful silhouette with good comosition.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2078 W: 216 N: 3757] (12468)
  • [2006-12-20 4:27]

Hi Michel

What an interesting posting.
I really like the title...great idea about that!
The silhoutte of this crow is wonderful, with very clear and sharp edges and the idea with the sepia sky is wonderful and gives a much better drama and atmosphere to the entire shot.
Great wotk!

Bravo and TFS
horia

Hello Michel,
perfectly reduced silhouette with a dinstinctively funny touch. Nice creative contribution. Thank you!
All the best to you, and a Merry Christmas to you and your family, Michel.
Best regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • dkaved Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 262 W: 18 N: 417] (1968)
  • [2006-12-28 10:08]

Hi Michel,
A lovely silhoette with a beautifully captured pose.Nice and sharp showing good detail of the feathers on its nape.the changing of the sky to sepia was a good choice.Very artistic....well done.
Regards, David

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