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Stevie Boy Blue
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Mar 18, 2009
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Sue Anne Rush: An excellent photograph of the little monkey - Congratulations :)
Thank you, Sue Anne. :-)
Albert Valentino: Not a care in the world. I kind if envy that little fella.
Great capture
Thank you, Albert.
jlina: That is amazing! Congrats. No one could look at that and not smile :)
Thank you, jlina. Yes, makes me smile, too. :-)
MannyZero: Lovely, tender and cute.
But, I don't know how you've got your hands on my family album and who gave you the authorization to post my picture here. (...!)
:)
Thanks Manny. Thanks for allowing me to post it. ;-) :-)
barb_s: Nicely done. I didn't really expect the dots in the feathers to end up being so symmetrical, but you have it! Congratulations on a worthy winner!
Thank you, Barb. Yes, it's surprising just how symmetrically aligned the peacock's display is when both the viewer and subject are completely square on to each other. Ultimately, so much of what we take for granted is pretty wondrous when we look and examine more closely. :-)
Thank you for the congratulations and for hosting these challenges. You do a wonderful job, albeit a thankless one in many cases. Thanks again, :-)
Albert Valentino: Excellent
Thank you, Albert. :-)
Bsivad2020: Excellent shot! I can attest how difficult this is to pull off. Male peacocks can be skittish if you get too close. Here's my version:
https://flic.kr/p/2jgE8xh
Thank you.
Yes, Peacocks, which are all male (females are Peahens), can indeed be skittish when we get too close to them. They can also be very aggressive; to the point they may attempt to peck and/or scratch us, especially when they’re in the throes of attracting a mate and are competing with other males for the same hen.
I’d therefore advise a cautionary approach to any photographer unsure of how they’ll be tolerated by the birds, which should soon let you know just how close you can get whilst they’re displaying. The first sign of intolerance should see a Peacock charge toward you, usually stopping short if you stand your ground. It may act in this way 2 or 3 times before it strikes.
Ignore these warnings at your own peril. Where possible, keep around 15ft of space between you and the displaying bird, at least until both you and it feel comfortable enough to move closer, just not too close! Ouch! ;-)
Thanks for the link to your nice example. Well done.
Cheers…
G Gordon MacDonald: This is just exceptional. The symmetry is so close to absolute perfection. When I was voting, my first impression was that it was a photo that had been flipped had 2 identical sides merged. When I got down to see the minor variations at the bottoms of the feathers on each side, I finally realized what an outstanding shot this is. You have as much skill as you have patience. Congratulations.
Thank you for your very kind words, Gordon. Lovely of you to post.
But I’m now imagining how long it might take for me to convincingly hide the centre join in any half-flipped composite whilst also ensuring every feather tassel and eye looked slightly different from the one directly opposite, save to mention all other minor intricacies occurring in the amazing plumage.
Overall, that may well be beyond my skill set. So I’m pleased you noticed that in fact, the image is as it was taken on the day, albeit a crop from a larger one that looks even nicer at full size.
I felt lucky and pleased to have got 3 hits from maybe 1200 attempts over 3 or 4 sessions chasing this specific 'head-on' pose. But in only one is the bird’s head and breast centrally aligned with the back feathers; the other two, including this one were slightly off to one side but still fairly symmetrical.
Thank you again for the complements. I really appreciate your input. :-)
Cheers and all the best to ya...
Paul Lazanov: Amazingly beautiful moment you caught! 10/10!
Thank you very much, Paul.
I really appreciate your view of my effort. Nice of you to post.
Cheers and all the best…
LauraJ: This was just priceless how you did it, just absolutely loved it and gave you 5 stars for it. So happy for you that you won! It earned it!
Thank you, LauraJ.
I appreciate the time everyone takes to set up, enter and vote in these challenges. I’m also grateful for any votes I receive, especially when my efforts are deemed worthy of top marks by some viewers. It’s very kind of you to have given my shot five stars. :-)
As you may imagine, Peacocks can be quite aggressive, making them tricky subjects to photograph at close range, like here. It’s also a very patience-testing task to obtain shots where the bird’s full-blown display is symmetrically square on to the lens and the head is central, as is almost the case in my example. ;-)
I’d imagined the shot I was after long before I was faced with the opportunity to capture it, and I recall that it took me 3 or 4 sessions and countless attempts before I was eventually rewarded for my perseverance. Some folks think wildlife photography is easy, but that’s usually before they’ve seriously given the genre a try or gained any image that’s truly worthy of keeping. :-)
Cheers
Sue Anne Rush: Beautiful picture of the peacock - Congratulations :)
Thank you, Sue Anne.
You’re very kind to have left a comment. I’m very pleased that you liked my photo. :-)
Cheers
A beautiful bird beautifully captured.
A superb image and worthy winner indeed.
Well done you. :-)
Vandyu: Beautiful shot, Stevie Boy. As usual! I do love these beautiful birds and their ability to capture their dinner. Thank you for being in the right place at the right time to be able to share what you witnessed through your camera lens.
Thanks Vandyu and you’re welcome. To be honest I always feel privileged to witness kingfisher behaviour whenever I get the chance. They’re simply beautiful and stunning creatures and my all-time favourite subject. It is every bit my pleasure to have displayed this image for you and anyone else who appreciates it. :-) Cheers
RuthC: This excellent picture is all about texture, Stevie Boy Blue, and it has won you another top place in this challenge. The Mandarin duck is always very photogenic, and you have excelled here. The colours are just superb, while we can see every texture in the beautiful plumage, from the smoothest silky whites and teal greens to the multicoloured quill-like tans and the rippling browns on the wings. Just beautiful! Ruth :-)
Thank you Ruth. Indeed Mandarin Drakes are photogenic. Can't help but love 'em for it. :-)
John Beavin: A great capture Stevie. congrats.
Thank you John.
BarnET: great! capture.
well deserved win.
Thank you BarnET.
ysal: Congrats Stevie, an excellent shot!
Thanks Yuki.
RuthC: Congratulations, Stevie Boy Blue, on winning 'A Gift From Nature' challenge, with your double capture: the beautiful, brightly coloured kingfisher, with its own silvery captured fish. The subtle background highlights the wonderful textures and details of your subject. I am left wondering how the kingfisher managed to swallow this very large meal. A great picture! Ruth :-)
Thank you Ruth, and thanks for hosting these challenges. :-)
J. Michael: A true money shot.....just beautiful.
Congratulations, Mike
Thanks a lot Mike. :-) Cheers...
ysal: What a beautiful shot, congrats! But the little one looks like he is bleeding. I hope he's not hurt??
Thank you ysal. Not sure where you're seeing blood though? And of course no-one else has mentioned it. Perhaps you have too much red in your viewing screen? :-) Anyway, I assure you that the cygnet looked okay at the time of photographing. Cheers