Leslie Larson
About the Image(s)
These guys are just too goofy. I love pelicans of all sorts, but the Australian ones with the large eye rings are maybe my favorites. They were doing their tai chi on the shore of Venus Bay, South Australia.
Canon EOS R5, 1/320, f/14, ISO 125, 400mm. Besides cropping and darkening the water, and the usual sharpening, I didn't do much to this photo,
5 comments posted
Leslie
Interesting behavior of the Pelicans. That's the storyboard of the one pointing North and the other pointing West and the rest preening their feathers. The angle could be straitened a little.   Posted: 07/08/2026 15:07:49
Interesting behavior of the Pelicans. That's the storyboard of the one pointing North and the other pointing West and the rest preening their feathers. The angle could be straitened a little.   Posted: 07/08/2026 15:07:49
Leslie, I really like it. Love the eyes! Image has a lot of energy despite the birds mostly being at rest. The mix of preening, stretching, and resting makes the group feel lively rather than static. The pelican in the foreground with its neck extended gives the image a strong focal point. The birds overlap in a way that creates depth, and the repeating white bodies and long pink bills make for a pleasing pattern. The low-angle sunlight gives nice texture to the feathers. The sparkling highlights on the water add atmosphere without overwhelming the scene. The white plumage, black wings, pink bills, and deep blue water complement each other nicely. The image appears quite crisp, perhaps just a tad over sharpened. Dialing that back slightly could make the feathers look a little more natural, especially around the brightest edges.
  Posted: 07/09/2026 12:16:36
  Posted: 07/09/2026 12:16:36
thanks for that feedback. I'll have another look at it.   Posted: 07/09/2026 15:58:08
I never knew that Pelicans could look like that. The depth in the photo is super and the photo really tells a story. Just FYI for pelican lovers. I go to La Jolla Cove in January to shoot them in their breeding plumage.   Posted: 07/09/2026 14:55:40
I had never seen pelicans like this before. It's a wonderful photo. Still, you could be a bit more careful when editing the image. Great job.   Posted: 07/11/2026 06:24:34
