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Peace Be With You


Peace Be With You
Photo Information
Copyright: Loot Eksteen (loot) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5452 W: 594 N: 3665] (10075)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-11-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Cannon EOS 350D, Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO Ultra DG, Digital ISO 100, UV 86mm Kenko
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): A study in Ornithology, Birds of South Africa 3, Aquatic Birds III [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-10-03 14:27
Viewed: 427
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Whitebreasted cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo

Hi there you all.

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking. The corporate world has not managed to put me down. I may have been busy and scarce on the TrekNature front, but that is soon to change. For the past 13 months I've been busy with this tremendous project at work and eventually the end is in sight. The "start up" date is 1 November and hopefully my life can thereafter return to normal. But, first Anna and I will enjoy a good break. Eventually the long awaited time has come and for the next 3 weeks the Kruger National Park will be our host. Early tomorrow morning we're gone. You can be assured that we will seize every game viewing and photographic opportunity the KNP might throw towards our direction and also enjoy a good rest at the same time.

So, this cormorant was just to say a quick "HI" & "BYE" to you all, and also to say "Peace be with you my friends". Enough has been said about the "Whitebreasted cormorant" on this site, so I will not bore you to death with another Wiki "copy & paste" note. I'll leave that for another occasion when I have more time to prepare a decent note to bore you with (chuckle). The only bit of information I will add is the fact that this image was captured some time (way) back at the Thulasihleka Bird Sanctuary, in Richards Bay.

Btw, I just need to brag a bit with my wonderful wife "Miss Piggy". Since two years ago, when she picked up a camera for the very first time in her life, she has grown (photographically) in tremendous leaps and bounds and I am really proud to say that she is definitely giving me a run for the money. It is amazing what results she manage to achieve with her little Sony and the fact is that these don’t just come by itself. She is putting in a lot of time, effort, and energy. So much so that the first national competition she entered returned some unexpected yet totally remarkable result. Friday afternoon we received a phone call from the editor of the WildsideSA magazine to inform us that Anna has won the "grand prize" which spans over their 4 major photo competitions throughout the year.

The prize includes the following:-
1. A Canon EOS 450D Digital Rebel XSi camera.
2. A Canon BG-E5 Battery Grip.
3. An additional Canon LP-E5 Rechargeable Battery.
4. A Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens.
5. A Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens.
6. And a weekend at the (5 star) White Elephant Safari Lodge.

I am thrilled to bits on Anna's behalf – yeah, don't worry, so is she.

So, with that snipped of news it is time for me to say "Hasta la vista".

Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop CS2
.

rousettus, sranjan, roges, ferranjlloret, xTauruSx, bahadir, oanaotilia, horia, Miss_Piggy, boreocypriensis, Alex99, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To rousettus: The pleasure is mineloot 1 10-03 15:27
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Critiques [Translate]

hello Loot,
nice to see you again after for a long time. welcome again.
this is great shot of beautiful cormorant with great POV, focus and eyes contact. but not only great capture, great notes. I also dont like copy and paste from Wiki. I also like to write original notes. many times, I spent a lot of time for this. unfortunalety long notes arent read usually (at least mine). but dont worry, somebody read it always.
thanks for sharing re-starting shot and congratulations your prize.
Sometimes I sent my regards for you via Anna's post. today, I will want from you to forward my best regards to Anna.
have a good night.
Ahmet

Hello Loot,
Great to see you in action with Whitebreasted cormorant's wings fully displayed. Perfect POV & composition. We knew that you are around but busy with few projects which had kept you off from TN and many. Welcome back friend & a great teacher. You are one of the few whom I look for every now & then after switching on the internet. With you, every time, I have learnt something new only. Trust Anna is doing well. Today we (Anna, you & me) are neighbors on the TN and what a simily that even she has used "Good Bye" in her caption to the macro photograph....telepathy!!! Live live you couple. God bless.
Regards-Subhash

Beautiful bird, beautiful pose, great photo, as usual! Have fun in Kruger and come back with some great photos!
Peter

Hallo Loot,
long time since I see you, old friend.
I hope the hard working days are over from now and you have more time fro your camera.
I think Anna is really happy know for this great prize.
About your picture: a nice drying pose of this cormorant,
It's well exposed with good sharpness and fine details.
Have great and safe trip to KNP, I'm a bit jealous ;-( but happy for you. :-)

See you when you are back.
Regards
Gert

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 620 W: 0 N: 561] (3236)
  • [2009-10-04 0:45]

Hi Loot,

Exceptional capture a top title. Very good player photo. Colors excellent with a perfect BG.
A pleasant Sunday,
Adrian

P.S. A good come back and expect other exceptional pictures from you.

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2411 W: 94 N: 5569] (17712)
  • [2009-10-04 1:06]

Hello Loot,
Great surprice to see a photo from you. It was waiting for a long time. This photo is marvelous. Excellent sharpness, details in a beautiful characteristic pose of the Cormorant. Superb natural colours, POV and OOF BG.
I wish you and Anna a wonderful holiday in Kruger with a lot of exciting photos.
Regards,
Peter

Hello Loot,
Nice to see your beautiful photo again. Wish you a nice trip to KNP.
JC

Hi Loot

Please congratulate Anna for me, but credit must go to you as well, as her mentor (photographically); well done to both of you.
Great shot of the cormorant. Good composition and sharpness.

Chris

Hello Loot,
Excellent compositon and POV. Great picture of this common and nice species.
TFS. Best regards. Ferran.

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1343 W: 0 N: 2585] (9117)
  • [2009-10-04 5:48]

Hi Loot,
wonderful cspture indeed. Im not for words for such a great nature photographer and brilliant and skillful PP guy.
Just wishing you all the best and you have given a tremendous input to me, learning from your presentation.
looking forward to seeing your wonderful shots in Kruger.

regards,
Foozi

Hello LOot, excellent shot of this cormorant.
Nice details and composition.
TFS and regards,
Deniz

Hello Loot, lovely shot of a cormorant in fine pose.
Details and colours are perfect.
TFS and regards, Bahadır

Hi Loot,
I am one of the beginners you refer to - and I wonder - is your Cormorant a Juvenile? As far as I can see in books, only juvenile birds are white all the way to the tail.

Your photo shows well the sheep-skin-like chest and the "dirty" neck.

I would be also interested to know, WHERE you you shot the bird.

I like the contrast between the bird's wings and the sky.

By the way, the Flightless Cormorants in the Galapagos Islands sit exatcly in this pose and look quite pityful with their remaining stumps - like war invalids. Unfortunately, I can not offer a photo: when we visited the islands we used 35 mm/slides - and in the hot Lowveld - the slides went all yellow and buckled... We projected them and took photographs with the Digital Camera, but the results are - only for us as reminders - not usable for TrekNature.

Kind Regards, also to your charming Miss Piggy
Ingrid

Hi Eksteen. beautiful short with nice catch well composed nice job
Hazara

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2174 W: 220 N: 4385] (14908)
  • [2009-10-07 1:43]

Hi Loot

GREAT to see another post from you, even if this is a solitary act nowadays...
I hope you'll post something cool after your return from the nice trip :)
This is a lovely shot, with a lovely timing to capture the cormorant drying its big wings. Despite the not too great light :( i think you managed to get the most of the details in the darker areas, too (even if that means having a little bit of noise). I would have done the exact same thing.
The composition is terrific and focuses the entire attention on the beautiful bird, while the DOF is spot-on, blurring the BG very neatly.
Overall, a pleasure to watch and read...as always from you!

Bravo and TFS
Horia
PS: i'm saving my comment from Anna for her first post with the new toys ;) Tell her i have high expectation, too! :)

Hello Loot,
Back with a BANG!! A stunning shot of the White Breasted Cormorant with wings spread.Excellent POV, sharpness and details. Good to see you back on TN. :)
Congratulations to Anna for winning the competition.
Regards,
Smitha.

Hallo Loot
This is indeed a striking photo. The details captured is stunning. The shine on the black wide opened wings are WOW and really eye-catching. The wingspan of this Cormorant is really impressive and you have photographed it well. The white part of the feathers looks very fluffy, almost like small cotton balls. Your photography is done expertly showing the details captured on the face with great clarity, especially the sharp edged beak and the rosy pink around the eye. Thanks for sharing. Love.
Anna

Hi my dear Friend Loot,

An awesome and thematic capture of a beatiful cormorant in a lovely dynamic posture on the tip of a columnal wood from frontal POV with great clarity, nice DOF and delightful composition. I have to state that nice to see you again here MF! I missed your creative comment and critiques as well as your close friendship. Hope you will continue to uploading again!
TFS and have a nice WE MF!
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3596 W: 143 N: 5696] (18621)
  • [2009-11-04 9:10]

Hi Loot.
It is wonderful news, that you are still alive and kicking :). You managed to catch this impressive bird at so fine pose. Timing is really great as well as POV and framing of the scene at whole. Despite the contrast colouration of the bird exposure of the image and reproduction of all parts of the cormorant are spot on. Kind wishes and all the best.
Alexei.

hello Loot

excellent photo of this cormorant with the fine frontal POV
and the bird's typical pose, excellent timing to shoot the photo
at that moment, with fine focus excellent sharpness and details,
congratulations for Anna, TFS

Asbed

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