Atlantic Puffin Portrait

[Tim Kuhn]

Atlantic Puffin from Machias Seal Island. I took this one a few years ago as I was going from IF's to static hence the over the top SS.

1d mk4
500 f4 IS L
1/3200
f8
ISO 400

124003

[Roman Kurywczak]

Right up there with my favorite birds!!! I might tone down the breast a touch to see if you can eeek out some more detail.....which looks to be there but overall.....a very nice portrait!

[Diane Miller]

I love it when birds sit for portraits! Especially those with Attitude!

The brightest part is at the bottom, which tends to draw the eye. It's an interesting reversal on the usual approach of bringing highest contrast to the most important area, but what would you think about toning down the bottom a bit and bringing up the face?

[Randy Stout]

TIm:

You have to love that face. Really like the detail on the bill and at the base of the bill. Sharp.

I do think you could so some subtle rebalancing of the luminosities as suggested by Roman and Diane, to pull our eye more to the face.

Very nice as is however.

Cheers

Randy

[Tim Kuhn]

Thank you all for the thoughts. I don't disagree, the bright chest is a distraction. I'll play around with it some more. I do like the face as it is, that is as nature offered it. Thanks for the push!

Tim

[Karl Egressy]

Nice portrait, Tim. I was wondering if a smaller crop including just the head would have worked a little better.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Tim - it's that tough light conditions of Machias. By the time you land, the sun is already higher in the sky. I agree on the whites but you got nice detail in the eye area and the vertical comp works well.

TFS,
Rachel

[arash_hazeghi]

Nice portrait. You had some though light but handled it nicely. I agree more detail can be extracted in the whites. The slightly bright blob in the upper right part of the BG is slightly distracting. Nice shot overall thanks for sharing.

[Robert Holguin]

Wonderful shot!!!
Beautiful bird. I hope I get the cance one to photograph these beauties.
Excellent head angle, detail is superb, and terrific comp.
Very well done.

[Mike Veltri]

Very nice portrait, in difficult light.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Sweet bird nicely separated from the BG, good comp, nice details. I agree about the suggestion about the luminosity...and I'd be tempted to add some vibrance to the colours.

[Tim Kuhn]

Thanks all!! Yes Rachel that is downside to Machias, you don't get there until way too late :(

Tim

[David Salem]

Very nice. Sharp and the colors are beautiful. Exposure looks good besides the hot spot on the chest.
Well done.