Little Auks

[Steve Kaluski]

First landing was a real treat, high up on the cliff face was a huge colony of Little Auks, flocks & flocks, all flying in with their crops brimming with plankton & fish. A tough yomp up to reach the location, but well with it and the hike up kept you warm for sure, just great to get out there.

Being overcast helped with the whites, but having a dark head can create other issues too, love the white eye flash. From the image you would not have guessed you are shooting up at a steep angle, hunkering down in a hollow sheltered me from the wind, but also gave some stability resting on the rocks.

There are huge restrictions shooting in Svalbard and the Wildlife regulations are enforced rigidly, there are even lookouts posted in strategic points, (in some locations hidden from view with rangefinders to ensure the guidelines are not infringed), however getting closer was not an option and therefore so hard to isolate individuals.

Thanks for either viewing or commenting on the previous image.

Steve

Subject: Little Auks (Alle alle), small group on rocks
Location: Svalbard
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 500f/4 MKII plus 1.4 MKIII HH
Exposure: 1/1600s at f/8 ISO2000
Original format: Landscape, very slight crop
Processed: LR6 2015 & PS CC2015 (one or two dark marks in the BKG removed)
Conditions: Grey & overcast

[William Dickson]

Very nice looking frame Steve. Love the colours within the frame and all birds with nice HA's. Beautiful perch, and the two birds in flight make for a very pleasing image. You did very well getting yourself into the position to capture this. Great work.

Will

[Colin Driscoll]

Love the shot and great story.

[keith mitchell]

Steve how did you get all these birds facing the same way? These are super little birds which I have been lucky enough to handle all though it was a dead bird(trained to be a taxidermist at Nottingham Natural history museum where we mounted these birds).Sounds like tough conditions but you finished with a cracking image.

Keith.

[Karl Egressy]

Nice story and excellent frame.

[Geoff Newhouse]

Very nice...tells the story of their daily behaviours well...I would have ideally like the landing bird to not intersect the others or maybe not be there at all but that is being uber critical.

TFS
Geoff

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks folks, using my trusty walking boots would have helped in the hike up, rather than the Muck boots, but as the landings are always wet, waterproofs and insulated wellies are the order of the day, wet feet are not ideal unless webbed. Agree on the in coming bird Geoff, but that's in an ideal world as you say and at the time of pressing the shutter you can only hope. An intersecting bird is never ideal, but I feel they do add to the scene rather than a group of static subjects.

Thanks

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Steve, I feel you are being hard on yourself with regards to the exposure on the darks - they look pretty good to me, and of course the whites are spot on too. There is always one clown in the group that doesn't look the same way as the rest of the gang. Before reading your intro, I had cast my eye over the image and thought -"what has Steve done to those eyes?" but your intro sorted that out - interesting flashes as you say.

[Steve Kaluski]

LOL Stu, thanks matey.

I must admit, when you first see them, the white flash does look odd, not sure of the purpose, if any, but they do look cool. :w3

[Stu Bowie]

Hope you had a great trip, and came back with lots of keepers. :w3

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Man, a very lovely image. Would work well as a B&W too IMO.
Love how they're facing the same way. Such great looking birds.

In the perfect world, the bird landing on the left would have been clear of the
sitting ones. No biggie though.

Thanks for sharing mate.
This really appeals to me!

[Steve Kaluski]

Cheers Akos matey, a nano second later and I might have answered everyones thoughts. Might just check later frames? If I post another will look at B/W, but it's not a medium you see here? :S3:

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I can't see how a wonderful photo of a bird, or birds, in B&W would make it not an appealing shot.
Hope to see more great shots mate
:cheers: