February 2026 Wildlife Photography Contest Intermediate Category Winner

American White Pelicans are a common sight in Brownsville, Texas during the winter months. A local park in the city hosts a group that returns every year, and I see them nearly every time I visit.

There was an image I had long envisioned: a headshot of a White Pelican against a pure white backdrop. Although White Pelicans are common here, getting within headshot distance is no easy feat. On the morning of January 24th, it finally happened. While on the public deck overlooking the park, I spotted a single pelican standing on a platform in the water nearby. I noticed that by moving to precisely the right position, I could place the bright white glare of the water directly behind the bird. All that remained was getting close enough. By lying on my belly and crawling slowly with my camera and 600mm lens, I managed to close the distance for a headshot. The bird did not notice me, and I had the opportunity to take plenty of frames — around 3,000 in that one session alone.

The exposure was tricky. I needed to balance a pure white background while retaining as much detail as possible in the bird’s face. Bracketing across different exposures, this particular frame delivered everything I needed: a bright, clean background; well-preserved facial detail; no intrusive ripples breaking the backdrop with dark-and-light contrast; and the pelican’s head tilted at exactly the right angle. A moment I had envisioned for months had finally become reality.