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

Frigatebird, Punta Carrion, Isabela Island, The Galapagos, Ecuador, 2012

The brilliant inflated red throat pouch draws the eye into this image. The pouch also is designed to attract a potential mate. There were many Frigates drifting along the hills, using their seven foot wide wingspans to ride the air currents and soar over the stands of Palo Santo trees that covered this area. The energy of this image comes from the dueling diagonal thrusts of the wing angle and the contrasting slope of the hill.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
1/1600s f/13.0 at 78.0mm iso800 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis18-Sep-2012 20:28
Good point, Iris. Nature often offers incongruities to stir both the mind and the emotions.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)18-Sep-2012 16:04
Symbolizing danger, the red throat makes this very large predatory bird appear even more ominous. However, this red pouch inflates during breeding season to attract a mate. Therein lies the incongruity and mystery of the color red.
Phil Douglis03-Aug-2012 18:21
Thanks, Carol -- contrasting angles such as these can generate energy and tension. Flight itself is a matter of expressing energy, and that is why I chose to make this image in this way. I saw the flow of trees and rock, and I noticed the counter thrust of wing angles as various birds flew through the area. This male frigatebird caught my eye well before it entered my frame -- its red throat creates a natural focal point. These birds seem to float through the air, so the wings are generally in this expanded position. I pre-visualized this image -- it was simply a matter of moments before the bird drifted over this slope. I used a high ISO and fast shutter speed to completely freeze it in flight.
Carol E Sandgren03-Aug-2012 04:21
I love the angles you use here in this image! The bird seems to know the area very well as it nearly scales the tops of those trees. And that red is really magnificent too!
Phil Douglis26-Jul-2012 20:10
This bird itself makes a foreboding impression -- it's color scheme, beak, and aggressive wings symbolize predation. And that is exactly how it thrives.
Tim May26-Jul-2012 17:25
That red, that red - wow - and for me there is a sense of foreboding from the presence of the many pointed branches.
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