Golden water and birds

[Mad Aussie]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3383159761_4b025374ae_o.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/09%20photographyca/_MG_3879.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/09%20photographyca/_MG_3880.jpg

[jjeling]

Nice job MA. The colors are really working well here. This does make me kind of curious though.
You can tell you used the flash by the red eyes in the images. Not only that, the ducks are lit pretty well despite the lighting coming from their other side. Im assuming you took these at sunset and guessing you set your white balance for the flash?

I prefer the second one the most of the three. The first and last show show the problems using the flash IMO. The second one looks pretty nice though. Very relaxing feel to it. Kind of wish I were those ducks.

[Mad Aussie]

I took these at sunrise this morning. The glow is the sun reflecting off a building in the background back onto the water.

Being that it was dark, and I had moving subjects, flash was the only option. What you call a problem with flash is what made the photo possible at all.
As you can see though, I was careful not to use too much. I could have taken time to reduce the red eye effects but decided it didn't matter.

Auto white balance ... shot in RAW/jpg but just accepted the jpg as the colour cast worked.

[Mad Aussie]

I should clone that piece of grass away from the Moorhens neck in that first shot :rolleyes:

[jjeling]

I understand that flash made the image possible. Sometimes its a necessary evil. Just the way I see it sometimes.

I was wondering what that bird was. It is quite an ugly thing..

[Mad Aussie]

I should clone that piece of grass away from the Moorhens neck in that first shot :rolleyes:
That's better ;)

[casil403]

Those ducks remind me of bank robbers!
Is that a young moorhen?...seems a bit downy for an adult.

[Mad Aussie]

I understand that flash made the image possible. Sometimes its a necessary evil. Just the way I see it sometimes.

I was wondering what that bird was. It is quite an ugly thing..
It's a juvenile Dusty Moorhen ...

He'll grow up to be a great dancer one day like his daddy ...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3355736430_69af8aa705_o.jpg

[Mad Aussie]

Those ducks remind me of bank robbers!
Is that a young moorhen?...seems a bit downy for an adult.
You posted moments before I answered that question above this post. Well done it is indeed.

[casil403]

Gosh...all your birds have such neat faces and colours MA....very cool!
hey...I noticed you also have Bower birds...any shots of their mating sculptures?

[Mad Aussie]

Gosh...all your birds have such neat faces and colours MA....very cool!
hey...I noticed you also have Bower birds...any shots of their mating sculptures?
I have some shots of Satin Bower birds I took last year or the year before but we rarely those and never here in town. I haven't taken any of their mating sculptures though. They are funny ... usually filled with blue trinkets they've found or stolen from people.

[casil403]

I love the idea that the Bower male spends all this time constructing this impressive sculpture from all kinds of stuff he finds and the Bower female walks by it and bases her opinion on whether to mate or not based on his handi-work...

Kinda like the bird version of "Hey...what kinda car do you drive?" :D

[Mad Aussie]

I love the idea that the Bower male spends all this time constructing this impressive sculpture from all kinds of stuff he finds and the Bower female walks by it and bases her opinion on whether to mate or not based on his handi-work...

Kinda like the bird version of "Hey...what kinda car do you drive?" :D
http://www.mtbdirt.com.au/home/smf/Smileys/classic/biglaugha.gif


Here's an other couple of uglies I got this morning ....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3445/3384037572_e80b10e323_o.jpg


They grow to be one of these ... Purple Swamp Hen
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/3384037896_70d439a546_o.jpg

[casil403]

Wow! Nice to know those butt ugly babies grow into their feet...lol!!
Really gives meaning to the story Ugly Duckling huh?
Really they are cute in a homely kinda way....:D

[Mad Aussie]

It's amazing where those feet take them! They walk on lillies and grasses that others fall through!

[Mad Aussie]

Here's those bowerbirds shots I mentioned ...

Male ...
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/QMF%20Condamine%20Oct%2007/IMG_5785.jpg

Female ...
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/QMF%20Condamine%20Oct%2007/IMG_5792.jpg

[casil403]

The female is as pretty as the male for a change!

[jjeling]

MA, Ive spent quite a bit of time studying animals shapes and how it relates to how they function, Ive never come across a swamp hen before. Cant figure out why, but it looks like a flightless bird. Is that correct?

[Mad Aussie]

MA, Ive spent quite a bit of time studying animals shapes and how it relates to how they function, Ive never come across a swamp hen before. Cant figure out why, but it looks like a flightless bird. Is that correct?
Not exactly. Not sure how far they (moorhens and swamphens) can fly though as I've never seen them fly more than a few metres at a time.

[kat]

More fantastic photos!! YAY~

[Mad Aussie]

Thank you Kat :)

[JAS_Photo]

I love those bower bird photos especially the female!

[Mad Aussie]

I love those bower bird photos especially the female!
They have cool eyes huh? I wonder why birds eyes vary so much in colour? :rolleyes: