Submitter's name:	Charles Packard
Title:	Flamingos, Birmingham Zoo.
Olympus Gear:	OM-2n
Lens:	500 f/8 Phoenix/Samyang CAT (notoriously soft)
Exposure:	Auto @ f/8
Film:	Kodak Elite Series 200 ASA
Technical info:	Late afternoon, handheld shot. Scanned with HP PhotoSmart, overall exposure adjusted. Edited Paint Shop Pro, sharpen filter used.
Subject info:	The flamingo pool is the first exhibit visitors see when entering our local zoo. I've been going there lately, sort of a photography project. The 500 just wound up in my bag and I expected to toss the two shots I took. However, the aesthetic quality of this image appealed to me. Support your local zoo! They need all the support they can get!
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Comment left by: Ian Nichols (i.a.nichols@bris.ac.uk)

A 500 cat, you say? aren't they supposed to have terrible bokeh? I do like things that defy conventional wisdom. It's a good composition, too, with all those flowing curves and the softened side lighting.

Comment left by: Barry Bean (bbbean@beancotton.com)

I never would have guessed that this was shot with a mirror. Nice curves.

Comment left by: Jay Maynard (jmaynard@conmicro.cx)

You have to really look close to see the mirror's effects here. The curves do have a very nice, seductive quality to them.

Comment left by: Gregg Iverson (giverson@webkorner.com)

The focal point of this shot goes against convention by being bottom center, and works well. The graceful curves work well by being slightly out of focus but not too far out of focus.

Comment left by: Lex (lexjenkins@hotmail.com)

Agreed...you've captured something that defies conventional wisdom regarding mirror lenses and composition, and succeeds on its own terms. Nicely done!

Comment left by: Giles (no e-mail specified)

I like the unusual composition, the flowing curves, the sense of depth, the contrast of light and shade - I like.

Comment left by: Alasdair Mackintosh (vanda@dtn.ntl.com)

Interesting picture. The way that the two out-of-focus birds are positioned, with their necks both following the same curved line, is absolutely fascinating. It's a shame that the bird in the foreground isn't quite so perfectly posed, and has its eye in the shadow. Then again, persuading animals to do exactly what you want has never been easy...

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