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Two's Company


Two's Company
Photo Information
Copyright: Fran King (sugah_bear69) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 601 W: 62 N: 1227] (4362)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-02-02
Categories: Humorous
Camera: Olympus E 500, Olympus Zuiko D 40-150mm, 58mm HOYA UV
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-02-15 13:12
Viewed: 536
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Cormorants are medium-to-large seabirds. The majority, including all Northern Hemisphere species, have mainly dark plumage, but some Southern Hemisphere species are black and white, and a few like the Spotted Shag of New Zealand, are quite colourful. Many species have areas of coloured skin on the face which can be bright blue, orange, red or yellow, typically becoming more brightly coloured in the breeding season. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the Pelecaniformes order.

After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun; it is assumed that this is to dry them. Unusually for a water bird, their feathers are not waterproofed. This may help them dive quickly, since their feathers do not retain air bubbles.

Cormorants are colonial nesters, using trees, rocky islets, or cliffs. The eggs are a chalky-blue colour. There is usually one brood a year. The young are fed through regurgitation. They typically have deep, ungainly bills, reminiscent of pelicans.

They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters. They range around the world, except for the central Pacific islands.
All are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. They dive from the surface, though many species make a characteristic half-jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water. Under water they propel themselves with their feet. Some cormorant species have been found, using depth gauges, to dive to depths of as much as 45 metres.

These are the Great Cormorant and are large black birds, 77-94 cm in length with a 121-149 cm wingspan. They have a longish tail and yellow throat-patch. Adults have white thigh patches in the breeding season. In European waters it can be distinguished from the Common Shag by its larger size, heavier build, thicker bill, lack of a crest and plumage without any green tinge.

In eastern North America, it is similarly larger and bulkier than Double-crested Cormorant, and the latter species has more yellow on the throat and bill


Tech Talk:
Resized
Digital Camera Noise removed
Color Balance Adjusted to Cooler
Framed

Thanks for stopping by!
Fran
GreenBaron, cstathoulis, Janice, scottevers7, Werewolf, Viking, harpya, Refugee, pablominto, lucbus, OeilMagique, pranab, JohnTulip, sufi has marked this note useful
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Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To sufi: Hi Salim,sugah_bear69 1 03-22 13:12
To JohnTulip: Hello John,sugah_bear69 1 03-14 17:58
To pranab: Hi Pranab,sugah_bear69 1 03-04 20:21
To OeilMagique: Hi Paul....sugah_bear69 2 02-20 00:11
To SkyF: Hi Sky,sugah_bear69 1 02-19 13:49
To Viking: Hi Rob,sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:18
To harpya: Ola Sergio!!!sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:14
To Refugee: Hi David,sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:11
To Pteraspis: Hi Stephane,sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:09
To pablominto: Hi Pablo,sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:08
To lucbus: Hi Luc,sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:05
To Photograph2u: Hi Yan,sugah_bear69 1 02-18 23:04
To Werewolf: Great!!!!sugah_bear69 2 02-17 01:39
To Janice: Hi Janice,sugah_bear69 1 02-15 22:50
To cstathoulis: Hi Constantinos,sugah_bear69 1 02-15 22:47
To cloverstar: Hi Diana,sugah_bear69 1 02-15 22:45
To scottevers7: Hi Scott,sugah_bear69 1 02-15 22:42
To GreenBaron: Hi Hans,sugah_bear69 1 02-15 13:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Fran,
A fine picture from this cormorans. Excellent composition and nicely captured. I like the blue tones in this image very much. You did a good job my dear Fran! TFS. BTW perfect note!
Hans

Very nice capture of these three regal birds. I like the blue tones.

Hi Fran,

LOL... They look like they have a great time!! Like they're talking about something... :))
Nice moment you've captured!

Well done
Constantinos

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3269 W: 267 N: 7730] (32962)
  • [2007-02-15 20:27]
  • [+]

"I don't care!! I'll just pretend they're not there."
These Cormorants / Shags in NZ, are always posing like this in the sun - drying their wings or sunbathing. Good catch Fran, TFS
Janice

Hi Fran,
A very good composition on these three Cormorants taking in some sun. I like the way you have composed and framed this shot. Good job managing the bright light. You kept good color and detail in the black plumage.. Great notes with this post.
You are well on your way to becoming a top notch nature photographer. This is my kind of photography!
Scott

I enjoy that capture with action!
The action give me the taste to make a workshop!
Not the artistic you will expect but i'm sure you will enjoy it :)
The reflection is nice into water!
Excellent!

Hello Fran
Nice idea and will try that to first time on the beach in coming time:-) Good weekend and TC
Rob

Hi Fran,

Great capture of these cormorans, taste of the look and excellent composition. I like them with the open wings warming up in the sun, beautiful reflexes in these tones blue.
Congratulations

Sérgio

Hi Fran, interesting to see that the Kiwis call them Shags too, thats what I have always called them. Nice capture with the three birds and a fine example of one doing the laundry. Well composed good colour and a lovely light. TFS,
David

Nice shot Fran! I like the action of the bird spreading it's wings! Thanks for sharing.

Hello Fran,
Funny poses indeed!
I wonder if the two to the left are a couple?
Well composed image where good details are captured, the colours are great...
The small ripples on the water are attractive!
Greetings,
Pablo -
...

  • Great 
  • lucbus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2108 W: 92 N: 1851] (10261)
  • [2007-02-18 15:24]
  • [+]

Hello Fran,
This is avery nice of these cormoran with the solitaire one turning it's back to the couple like if he was jealous.
Greetings.
Luc

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1666 W: 136 N: 1263] (6138)
  • [2007-02-19 7:15]
  • [+]

Hi Fran,
nice shot of this threesome sitting on the tree branch. The lighting is wonderful and there is a lot of wonderful texture in this shot. POV, details and colors are very nice.
TFS..Sky

Hi Fran, very cute trio, with the other looking somewhere else. And the added bubles by Alain is vey funny.

Well captured! Take care, Yan!

Ps: many thx for your review in "Happy Valentine's Day". It's really appreciated :)

pl

Someone is trying to impress the gallery by extenting its wings, I must try that technic. Not easy to photograph dark subjects in this case the black cormorants when the sun is not quite at the proper angle, but you did a god job. Well seen with a funny tittle.

Paul

fran,
3 is crowd! that's not the reason i was away, afetr effect of this nasty flu was worse than i thought. it #$%^&ed up all my plans.
nice pov and the positioning of your subjects is very dramatic.
well done.

Excellent capture, colorful, nicely done.
TFS
John
* later

  • Great 
  • sufi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 720 W: 7 N: 106] (1336)
  • [2007-03-20 20:01]
  • [+]

Merhaba Fran, my friend...
It's a wonderful point of view and very pretty composition... The light, the colors and the details on the cormorants are perfect... Of course great shot...
TFS...
Stay well..
Salim.

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