For Lannie...

Shot through small mesh wire at the Aquarium. I was surprised to see

Cara Cara's have eyelashes and hairy beaks! Comments?

Great shot...nice and clear. His black cap makes me think of a hair-piece! :) Lighting and comp are really good...and I like that you can see the goatee and eyelashes.

 

Leslie

Wonderful bird portrait...

I actually like the shadows caused by the fence.

It is a nice shot Kim. I think a tighter crop from the top would also work here with more of a landscape look. Congrats on your 500th post! 1000 can't be far away...

Hi Kim, Nice shot. I llike the colours and the eye. The shadow of the wire adds somthing to this picture. Regards Stephane

What's a Cara? Nice detail. I'd try a tighter crop because the black top of his head gets lost in the background. A tighter crop might emphasize the light highlights in his brow and give more shape to the head.

Square Crop

 

.......Here's the first version of this I posted back in February. I have quite a few shots of this bird. I do prefer the tighter, square crop myself. Mark, a Cara Cara is a Mexican Eagle, I believe.

I really like the square crop and the close-up. Kim, an email I sent you today bounced.

Thanks for letting me know about the email, Mark. I haven't had any since Friday and a test email to Ed's email failed, too. We've let the Internet provider know. I'll catch you when it's back online, I guess. :(

Very good crop,details against black bg,Kim.

This is a great one, Kim. I'm honored. Both versions are extraordinary, and I am amazed to see you getting this with such a modest lens, considering everything that you have in your arsenal.

 

--Lannie

I've seen this one before! I liked the first version better :)

Excelente luz, color y un bello encuadre, perfecta composicion, saludos cordiales Kim.

Hi Kim, I like the effect of the 'wires pattern' on the bird.

 

Els

Thanks, everyone. I'm always amazed when you can get a shot through a small hole in the wire!

Superb, 6/6

Really super composition, detail, color & lighting. I love the shadow of the fence. It makes me a little sad. I might title this "In Captivity". What a beak & nice glint in the eye. I do not have one suggestion, with exception, I'd print this life sized & frame it for my wall. This from someone who is "not" a bird fan :)

Jayme, the nice thing is, they rehabilitate "broken" birds and usually release them back into the wild. It's like a hospital for birds. I do have the other version of this printed out 12x16 (print-size, then matted & framed) and it's hanging in a gallery (for sale). I had it in my office for awhile and may have to do another one as it's one of my favorite bird shots. Thanks for visiting, Derek.

That is so nice to hear they return them to the wild. Good luck on the sale, I think this will do well :)

Nice, Kim! One of those times where the shadow pattern from those pesky fences adds a lot...the lighting was great for it.

Excellent exposure control to capture the light.

Hi Kim, I guess what makes this image work is the sadness that such a beautiful specimen of a bird is unable to fly. . . hopefully this one will be rehabilitated and free to soar again. . .

It IS sad to see birds locked up, but at least you know these ones have a chance to fly again. Thanks for the comments, everyone.