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Big Bird


Big Bird
Photo Information
Copyright: John Plumb (JPlumb) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 618 W: 158 N: 896] (2904)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-06-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D200, NIKKOR AF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 ED DX VR
Exposure: f/6.7, 1/60 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-07-11 17:15
Viewed: 3960
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is a follow-up to my post from a couple of days ago, “ Our Hunt for the Elusive Cassowary ”. In this shot I present to you a closer view of the Southern Cassowary. Cute isn’t she? These birds have three toed feet with a dagger like middle claw they use to kill their enemies. This is a bird to be avoided or approached with caution. Please visit the workshop for a view of these feet..

During World War II American and Australian troops stationed in New Guinea were warned to steer clear of these birds as they are capable of inflicting fatal injuries to an adult human. They are capable of deftly using their surroundings to conceal their movements and have been known to out-flank organized groups of human predators. They are considered to be one of the most dangerous animals to keep in zoos, based on the frequency and severity of injuries incurred by zookeepers. For more information on this bird I will refer you to my previous post, or to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary .

Also Rick Cridland (rcrick) has provided another post that discusses the problems this bird is having in the Mission Beach area due to Cyclone Larry - http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2007/s1876516.htm

Workflow for this shot was as follows:
Shot in Raw - NEF files adjusted for exposure and shadow
Adjusted levels
Adjusted curves for contrast
Dodged and burned with overlay layer (10% opacity black and white brush)
Added a saturation layer +15 to master
Added a layer for sharpening and “over-sharpened” with USM
Modified sharpening with a layer mask (25% opacity black brush)
Saved as a tiff
For this post, cropped, and applied a new USM layer and over-sharpened – modified sharpening with a layer mask (25% opacity black brush), framed, and saved as a jpeg

Cropped to a square format so you could see the hair like feathers as well as the portrait, considered removing the fine branches with spot healing brush (but opted not to, to maintain a completely natural state – I might still do this on my home copy), considered flipping on the horizontal, but opted not to.
rousettus, Ken52, rcrick, deblink, cam has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To cam: Quite CloseJPlumb 1 07-25 05:55
To trinko: FeathersJPlumb 2 07-14 16:27
To Argus: Elusive BirdJPlumb 1 07-12 06:06
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi John,
Great portraite of this beautiful bird. Nice details, composition, coloration. also sharpness and notes. TFS
well done
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Ken52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 636 W: 93 N: 1243] (4195)
  • [2007-07-11 19:46]

WOW John,
You find what is to me the most unusual subjects. This is great for the mission of TN. These big birds do look like they could do some damage. Very nice focus and colors. I like the crop and the retention of the natural environment.
Ken

nice colors interesting pose. focus on the bird seems strange, feathers on the body seem too smooth and the eye is a little soft focus wise.

Hi John,
She is a great looking bird. I remember watching a documentary on TV and it mentioned how dangerous they can be. I like that you have shown us a nice close up of her upper body. It is wonderful that she is in her natural environment.
Cheers,
Debbie

Hello John,
As judged by your note this is a most clever bird!
Very eye-catching colours as captured here, the light comes nicely to lit head and neck...
A well composed presentation, good details!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Hi John,
Very nice shot, lovely colours, as always great notes. If I recall rightly during Cyclone Larry up in Innisfail these birds suffered quite a bit due to the devastation caused by the cyclone to their habitat

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2007/s1876516.htm

Cheers Rick

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-07-12 1:28]
  • [+]

Hello John,
If only we could have taken such a fine shot of this elusive bird when we were in Queensland. We spent three days looking for the Cassowary in the Daintree area but only met people who had seen it minutes before we came to the spot or a short time after we left.
Great to see such a fine sharp capture and congratulations!
TFS,
Regards, Ivan

hi john,
nice capture of this starnge looking bird, well composed shot with nice pov,
tfs & regards
pankaj
pt

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-07-12 6:39]

Hello John

Great job finding this bird and getting such beautiful photos of it.This portrait shot is wonderful,with sharp details and rich colours.Excellent POV.Nicely done.TFS


Rob

Superbe beau plan avec belles couleurs et beaux détails.
Bravo
Marie

  • Great 
  • cam Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 85 W: 0 N: 78] (360)
  • [2007-07-24 18:05]
  • [+]

Hi John
I read your note and immediately look at the lens you had.A 200 with this kind of view is quite close for a bird that is so dangerous.
Quite a good close-up,good colors.
Only drawback is the overexposed area on the back of its head.You will be right to consider me picky,as I would have been quite happy to have shoot that picture myself,well done.
Charles

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