Harbour Seals from Helgoland

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi folks ,
another image from Helgoland popping up here.
The little guy in front got kicked up the beach by either waves or other bigger seals coming onto the beach due to incoming tide.
The bigger ones in the BKG were lying relaxed with closed eyes, but as the little guy came up with speed they turned their heads and gave a bit more interest to the scene .

Canon EOS 1Dx
EF 500 IS L
Tripod

F 8 ; Iso 2000 ; 1/1000 sec
full frame

Processed with Canon DPP 4 and PS CC ; no NR

Thanks for watching and commenting to my previous thread

Cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

the little guy came up with speed they turned their heads and gave a bit more interest to the scene .

Definitely Andreas!

I feel that the 200-400 would have been a better choice in lens, having the flexibility of a zoom is great and perhaps would have avoided the cut seal on the LHS, although not a deal breaker, I do feel that having all of the seal in would have been better, but all said with hindsight. Nice low POV which is great, even lower may have been even better, just using your fist as the support. Techs look good to freeze the action and I like the displaced sand, similar to Rachel's water splashing with the dogs. Can't comment to much on colour (as I know you would like, as I'm away), but looks good, likewise the detail & sharpening. Perhaps in an ideal world having the white of the sea as the overall background may have been better, WDYT?

Your call, but quite literally a sliver off the top to give a constant dark green/back edge would be good, just to avoid the light strip creeping in on the trim edge top, LH corner. :w3

Certainly seems a better location than Donna N.

TFS
Steve

[Carl Walker]

Like the action portrayed here and the curious onlookers. I am finding the little yellowish area above the OOF adult slightly distracting. Great image Andreas!

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Steve ,
always good to hear your clever thoughts and suggestions :bg3: .
But there are times that you have to take things as they are , as you know.
Lens usage - yes the 200-400 would have been better choice , but i am only able to carry one big lens at a time with me , old man......... so i went every day with the 500 or the 200-400 across the island .Plus all the other heavy stuff .
Would have liked the whitish sea as the whole BKG , but......... the animals did not want to play the same game .
POV - yes would been better slightly lower ........ but then i would have seen blown out sky above the rocks :eek3:, not ideal from my view.Plus i do not like to go that deep onto the sand with my kit , specially when the sand is dry and wind is blowing :t3, do not like sand in my kit .I even had sand on my lenses while using the rain cover for safety over lens .

And yes i should have watched the thin stripe on top of the frame , my fault ......... easy to fix.

Thanks again , Andreas

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Carl for your comment , i actually do not find the yellow patch that distracting .But i could blend that in , like i could shave off the top thin line.

Cheers Andreas

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Andreas - colors and tones look good with a nice low pov. The youngster is a cutie and I love the flying sand but I do find myself wishing the adult was sharper because for me the startled look is great. Sounds like it was one of those moments where you didn't really have a chance to alter your settings or change your focus point. Any chance you got any of the little one isolated?

TFS,
Rachel

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Rachel for your feedback , appreciate your thoughts.
Technically is it not possible to get both animals in the sharp zone , even if i would have stopped down to F 11 , the adult would have been OOF . The 500 is just compressing to much at short distance .
Isolating the little one , not really easily done , because these Harbour Seals are more fearful against us humans than the Grey Seals . So when you have your position on the beach , the best is to sit/ lay in the sand and wait /hope for the incoming tide . They will be ´washed´right to you, but moving when they are close is ´forbidden´, they react with just turning away(in best case) or start running back into the water (what i want to avoid) . I had cases where they came up to me as close as 2 meters , but i had no chance to move or get the short lens without chasing them away . And if you chase one , others follow the one who panics.

Thanks again Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Andreas, not a 'problem' (not quite the right word), appreciate the situation and fully understand, but have to ask/pose the question to understand some of the rational and the image. I know what you mean about hauling gear the 500 & 200-400 are hefty on long hikes, so it's a fine balancing act in what to take. Lens covers a good one, especially with sand as there are some really good ones out now.

cheers
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Steve - i never feel (mostly) you ask´ problem ´questions , all have a basic idea behind them which i quite like !
I could explain to each and every thread the shooting circumstances , but i feel many of the viewers are not that much interested , so i answer it when get asked :bg3:. Hope this works .

So do never hesitate to ask , i am open to all questions/suggestions .

Cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Cheers Andreas, also just thinking out for others too who may benefit from the dialog. :S3: :cheers:

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Andreas for explaining the shooting conditions and the limitations on movement. It helps to understand the effect on your options and techs as well.

Have a nice weekend,
Rachel

[Steve Canuel]

Cute shot. Looks like the youngster is trying to engage the adults in a game of chase.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Steve for you comment.