Gull - suggestions

[Lance Peters]

I couldn't quite pull this one together.

Love the background, but cant really get a crop that is any good. Selectively shrapened the eye and adjusted the reds around the eye and the bill.

Any suggestions really welcome.

D3
Sigma 300-800 zoom @ 800mm
F 5.6
1/60th
+2EV

Many thanks

Lance

[Dave Phillips]

Hi Lance, I think the bright right sun is your main enemy here....almost to the point of rim lighting and leaving the bulk of the gull in shadow. Reduced contrast, or shooting on overcast day are only solutions to this. Overexposing for the shadowed gull has really overexposed the water

May have been better if sun was behind you AND IMO, a lower angle would be better and put those water highlights on one oof plane

[Lance Peters]

Hi - you are correct of course - shooting into the sun. What I was really trying to do was to get the waterry type backgound effect and have a rim highlight around the bird but all still correctly exposed.

Didnt quite match what I was seeing in my mind.

[Alfred Forns]

You actually did very well Lance I like trying different approaches and with the conditions you had might have been the best option Water sure looks good. For most of these images I like using fill flash Actually find myself setting +3 on the flash

Composition wise I would like to have seen the back of the water circle Works just like body parts for birds !! Don't want to clip them !!! Keep trying different images !!!!

[Gus Cobos]

Very nice image Lance,
Agree with the harsh sun angle. Your bird is razor sharp...:D

[Ian McHenry]

Hi Lance
This Red-billed Gull and it's NZ endemic cousin the Black-billed Gull are two of my favourite gulls in New Zealand.
I like the space above the head and the strong ripples so have kept them in my re-crop.
Cheers: Ian Mc

[Nonda Surratt]

I think the image has an overall neat feel to it, love the water.

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Great composition Lance. I like Nonda's comments. The water makes it feel very soft and pleasing image. Like the head angle.
Regards,