The Clown, a photo from Gauteng, East

Photographer's Note

Another photo from my recent visit to the Monte Casino Bird Gardens in Jonannesburg.

Unfortunately I have no idea what kind of bird this is. It is not found here in South Africa, but I thought it was interesting enough to post anyway.

To me, it looked like a clown.... :-)

Shot taken at 420mm, using aperture priority and underexposing -1.0 EV at ISO 250.

Jeppe, summer89, carper, Liora, nwoehnl, Galeota, jhm, prlcs oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

Jeppe (18654) 2004-06-22 2:59

Yes I would say this looks like a vulture dressed up for carneval ;-))

Great shot and interesting to watch this bird - unknown to me as well - great eye colour.

summer89 (5422) 2004-06-22 3:20

Wonderfull Henry.

I like the details and colors.

Very well done

carper (96) 2004-06-22 3:49

Exelent colours Henry,
Great photo, good cropped, perfect dof, well I like it Henry, my compliments for it.

milloup (1829) 2004-06-22 4:35

A clown with a headache, judging by the colour of his eye ;-)). I agree with Jeppe, the head looks like something off a vulture. The body ressembles more what I'd associate with a turkey, but I don't know if there's such a thing as a turkey-vulture?
The details in the feathers are beautiful.

[2]

Liora (1857) 2004-06-22 4:48

Wow... strange bird... yet beautiful! I have no idea what it is.

jhonny_blue (4956) 2004-06-22 4:56

Wow ! Hanry it´s a amazing shot !
The colours and details are perfect !
You are the master of birds pictures !
Very well done !

Burnham (2428) 2004-06-22 5:14

Surely worth posting this hansome clown. The details are as usual great and the contrasting colours of this bird a hard to overlook. I agree with Jeppe, this must be a vulture on it's way to a carnival :o)

[2]

jrj (34843) 2004-06-22 9:13

Very interesting this bird - as you say Henry whatever it is. The red eyes, sure for a purpose and the strong coloured feathers. Yes, quite a strange bird this one... Very good capture and cropping.

manny (21833) 2004-06-22 12:16

Such marvelous colors. The dof you've chosen created a blur in the background that highlighted the chicken. The inclusion of the leg is a vital part of the composition. Good picture.

cdewet (0) 2004-06-22 13:30

A Vulturine Guineafowl - however you spell it in English, From East Africa. I will just have to make the efford to go!. I would consider groppin off behind the shawl area, and lose the leg. I tighter crop wil make this rock. As, is a lovely poetrait of this game bird. MOOI Man!

nwoehnl (122) 2004-06-22 14:06

Wow, what a character again and again you made a beautiful and crisp capture of him, Henry. The plumage looks amazing with the alternation of blue - white - black, and the details of the neck and head (dig that red eye!) are very well rendered. Finally you found again a quite original cropping, very good work.

Galeota (10352) 2004-06-22 14:10

I don't ever get bored with your photographs. This series on birds is fantastic.

jhm (191315) 2004-06-22 14:49

I find you series of birds wonderful Henry, beautiful work. I like of this!

prlcs (63) 2004-06-22 16:19

La mise au point sur cet oiseau est de toute beauté. Les couleurs sont superbes et le contraste entre le bleu du plumage et le rouge de l'oeil est du plus bel effet. C'est vraiment du tout beau travail. Magnifique Henry !

avigur_11 (22535) 2004-06-22 16:49

Wow, this red eye give it a very differnt charchter. t goes perfect as the center o the white-blue balck lines of the feathers. Sharpness, DOF, and crop are stunning. Very very well done, Henry.

flydragon (0) 2004-06-23 6:01

wowww beautifull
u made with animal a really graphic work
really nice thx to share this

joseelias (0) 2004-06-23 8:15

I'm getting really stunned with the clarity and the quality in the details you're getting whit this birds series. It's like if we were able to see all the feather and feel the textures!

Again great colors and DOF. By the bold head it seems a kind of vulture... But who am I? I only can distiguish a cannary from a a sparrow... ;-)

yesterday (9833) 2004-06-24 15:03

WOW - one word - SPLENDID!!!.

Regards Kaj Nielsen

dominique (11414) 2004-06-24 17:00

The colors are extraordinary, perfect framing, which funny of head. Pretty photograph

dsidwell (9783) 2004-12-25 12:22

This is one bizarre bird, Henry! The light you've used is so effective with the dark behind the head. Very nice indeed!

dantor (122) 2005-10-19 10:19

Hi Henry, I too prefer this photo to the one you posted on TN. Here, the off balance composition puts the emphasis on the colourful body and at the same time introduces movement. Compared to the posting on TN, this one is not static. The sharpness is excellent throughout; F/8 and underexposing worked perfectly here. Well done.

Daniel

P.S. Kogawa's workshop is interesting as it highlights the stunning beauty of the plumage and turns your subject into an abstract, which could be entered in a guess-what-this-is contest.

dvlazar (6662) 2006-01-28 6:11

What amazing and vivid colors!! The bird is also fascinating - ive never seen this before. Great photo.

Eben (147) 2006-08-22 8:20