Stormbird
BEST VIEWED LARGE FOR THE FULL EFFECT FOLKS!
THE SUBJECT:
This most co-operative little bird in a great big world is a wonderful specimen of Phalacrocorax melanoleucos (Little Pied Cormorant), a very common and widespread Aussie native.
The feature in the background is called Nobbys Hill and on its peak is an obelisk that was built by convicts in the mid 1800s as an aid to navigation.
THE LOCATION:
Photographed on Shelley Beach, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia on an obviously miserable cold, wet and windy winter afternoon.
THE MAKING OF ‘Stormbird’:
I was on the hunt for wild ‘n’ stormy seascapes and spotted this little Cormorant trying to dry out between showers.
It allowed me to get as close as 4metres (12ft) so this shot is full frame which helped greatly in keep the image quality high. (The clouds did become a bit “blocky” in smaller jpg copies though).
My biggest problem was getting just the right exposure to prevent blown out sea and sky yet obtain enough detail in the dark areas without creating unacceptable noise during processing.
I was able to achieve that by applying my camera’s Exposure Lock on the mid-grey area of sky just above the horizon. This created an image that was under exposed just enough to handle the dynamic range.
The processing was surprisingly minimal. Just some tweaking to better display the bird’s body mainly.
Fuji S9600: RAW, f/5 @ 1/2000sec, Auto focus, ISO80, Hand held.
Lightroom 2.2 & Photoshop CS3.
Visit the Aussie Birds collection in my BubbleSite Gallery for more Feathered beauties.
UPDATE: 12-7-09
There have been a couple of subtle but important adjustments made to the original and you now see the improved image.
While readying this photograph for printing I needed to lighten the bird and rock slightly and give the saturation of the sea, rock and bird’s beak a nudge.
The print was made on Ilford Galerie Smooth High Gloss Media and the result is magic.
UPDATE: 20-7-09
This wintry scene has been featured in the New South Wales Photography Group.
UPDATE: 21-7-09
My defiant Cormorant has been featured in the Point & Shooters Group.
UPDATE: 26-7-09
This moody winter seascape has been featured in the That One Great Shot Group.
UPDATE: 15-12-09
BIG news! A framed 60cm x 100cm (24”x40”) B&W print of my wonderful stormbird has been sold as part of a collection of 16 of my Port Macquarie photographs to be displayed permanently in the Coast Apartments complex.
Enjoy!
DARTERS & CORMORANTS
(Click the links!)
Phalacrocorax melanoleucos – Stormbird
