Herring Gull Portrait

[Grace Scalzo]

From a few weeks ago. So often I hear "It's only a gull" yet in the right light, good plumage and with a nice background, I think that they are just as beautiful as any other species. (And far easier than some. :w3) I had been photographing ducks and needed the 2x for them. This bird was perched on a bench as I was packing up so I just fired off a few frames with the tc on so it's nearly full frame.

1/3200, f8, iso1000
Canon 1dx, 600 f4 + 2.0tc

[Enrique Patino]

Great portrait. awesome light. great details. could have gone with higher f/stop?

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Grace,

Very nice portrait with good light, background. The head has very nice feather detail. well done.

Allen

[gail bisson]

Very very nice portrait of this "ordinary" bird.
The IQ and light are topnotch and I like the color of the blue in the BG.
Comp is spot on for my tastes,
gail

[Joseph Przybyla]

Lovely portrait Grace, thank you for sharing.

[Lorant Voros]

Exposure is spot on and the colors and detail is beautiful. I guess you used flash here or the catch light is the sun? TFS.

[Grace Scalzo]

Thank you everyone. Enrique, yes, should have stopped down but got away with a bit of sloppiness as only the feathers on top of his head are beginning to fall outside the dof. No flash, that was the setting sun. Like I said, I was done with my session and was packing gear. Saw this opportunity (Spot light effect on bird, and distant water in shadow from a jetty) so fired off a few frames.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Grace, love the light in this, and you have brought out the detail so well. The angled pose isnt bad either. :w3

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Grace a nice simple portrait in sweet light with great IQ , and yes it was worth a stop and shooting some frames . :wave:.

TFS Andreas

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Excellent IQ, framing and details Grace. I like it.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Grace, you know how I love gulls and photographing them...this one ticks all the boxes for me. Excellent portrait. The Herring Gulls are pretty skittish up here - at least thank goodness Ring-bills are more tolerant of people!

[christopher galeski]

nice portrait Grace,like the BG,nice head angle and feather detail.

[Satish Ranadive]

Magnificent portrait. Superb exposure, beautiful colors, great details, nice BG and composition.

Regards,
Satish.