Guillemot cliff wall

[Steve Kaluski]

Thought this might fit within this months theme.

Shot from on deck of our small, but very comfy, Ice breaker, as we sailed along the cliff wall as Guillemots, Little Auks and Puffins took to the skies & sea. With very little space on the cliff face the Guillemots would perch very precariously on the small ledges.

Thanks to those who viewed or posted a comment on the previous thread.

Steve

Subject: Guillemots (Uria aalge) perching on cliff face
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 70-200f/2.8 MKII HH
Exposure: 1/1600s at f/11 ISO4000
Original format: Landscape, slight crop for presentation
Processed via: LRCC & PSCC

[steve torna]

Awesome!

[Randy Stout]

Steve:

I like this one a lot. The mass of birds almost gives the sense of a colony of ants spread across the cliff face. It is rather like a "where is waldo" image, as your eyes move around looking at the detail, clusters and configurations of the birds.

This would be fun printed large I would think, so you can see a little more detail of the birds.

Cheers

Randy

[Joseph Przybyla]

A lot to look at in this image. It appears every ledge and rock outcropping is filled with birds. Something I have never seen before. Thank you for sharing, Steve.

[Bill Dix]

A fine and interesting image. No room at the Ledge. The upper third of the frame has less action, but does impart a nice verticality. I could imagine an alternate version with a crop from the top, down to a bit below your text.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Wow Steve I love it! I'm with Randy about printing it big...must look impressive on a wall. Well done on all counts.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Steve, I really like the different lines and angles of all the Guillemots scattered across the cliff face. Ones eyes wander all over the image looking in every crevice to find more birds. Well captured.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Steve, this is one heck of an awesome image. Expertly seen and masterfully executed, the techs tell it all. The tones, details and comp are amazing. This is one BIG wall to be printed and put up on a wall :bg3:

[Steve Kaluski]

Many thanks guys, sadly within an image you still cannot convey the scale, but also the noise generated by the abundance of birds flocking/landing. I'll try to post another image which may provide another POV in scale.

Cheers
Steve

[Grace Scalzo]

What a fun image. Cropping from the top to more of a pano allows my eye to follow the lines that the birds make more. Just a thought.

[Jonathan Ashton]

You nailed it Steve, so often these shots of big cliffs and little birds just don't work but this one does. It is not merely the detail I think it is the colours you have portrayed in the rocks.

[dankearl]

Very nice, Steve, the rock wall does not even need birds on it to have interest.

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks folks, yes Dan the rock was impressive. :S3:

Here is an alternative version going more pano.

Cheers
Steve

[Karl Egressy]

Great image with lots of crop opportunities, Steve. I would try a vertical to include that very interesting dark top middle rock surface.
Adding a little contrast also, it would make an other excellent crop option.

[Lorant Voros]

I prefer the OP. Awesome! Agree it would make a great print in large format. There is a lot to discover in this by looking at it long.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve i love both crops , difficult to say which one works better , i am leaning slightly more to pano :bg3:
So much to look at in this frame .Well done in capture and post .Super duper tonality !!!!!

TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks Lorant, not bad Andreas for ISO4000, cheers :bg3:

[shane shacaluga]

They are everywhere! Echo the comments above! Love this image

There are 2 captured in flight. See if you can find them!

[Marina Scarr]

Either way this is an impressive image and I am green with envy. I think the pano is a tad stronger b/c it accentuates the birds.