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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Eighty-three: Impressions of the Galapagos – an extended photo-essay > Frigatebird, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, The Galapagos, Ecuador, 2012
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27-JUN-2012

Frigatebird, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, The Galapagos, Ecuador, 2012

We landed on Fernandina's Punta Espinosa at the very best time of day, around 5:00 pm in the afternoon. The sun is low in the sky, casting warm light and bringing out the textures of the creatures I photographed and the nature of the land itself. This image is a perfect example of later afternoon light. Note how the volcanic rock contrasts in texture and color in both shadow and in light. The Great Frigatebird, clutching a shard of rock, shows a similar play of light and shadow on its plumage. These birds are known as kleptoparasites, as well as "Man of War" birds, due to their piratical habits. They will steal fish from other birds in flight, often grabbing their tails and shaking them until they disgorge their food, and then catching the falling meal before it hits the sea. They also kill and devour young Sea Turtles, picking them up on the beach as soon as they emerge from their nests. This image conveys a sense of predation -- the frigate holds on to a shard of jagged rock, its pointed beak and hanging tail feathers echoing the shattered edges of the volcanic earth itself.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
1/1000s f/6.3 at 200.0mm iso160 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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