The Whales of San Ignacio

[dankearl]

I just returned from my second trip to this magical place in Baja Sur California.
It is just awe inspiring.

This is a Baby Gray whale about 20 feet from our small boat.

1/1250, f7.1, iso200, 70mm (24-70 f2.8), Nikon D800, Handheld

800_9108bp.jpg (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=160005&stc=1&d=1456679033)

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Dan - Close up whale photography can be difficult. I love seeing the eye here. Comp and colors work too. Only thing I might try is to back off on the sharpening or burn the highlights in the water to the lower left of the whale.

TFS,
Rachel

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Dan,

The sheer size of this Baby Gray is amazing! Well seen and captured and you were quick to make sure the eye is above the water:)

Lovely colours and textures on the whale, the emerald sea looks almost unreal yet so beautiful to me. I am delighted to see a new species in this Forum, please let us have some more images Dan!

Kind regards,

[haseeb badar]

Hi Dan -- A fine image ! lovely details and colours . That eye is special here , i might try a light hand of dodging on the eye , but very slightly not to make it look artificial .

TFS !

[Mike Poole]

No surprise to most, but I love shots around water, and this is no exception. You've timed this well with the eye - no machine gunning with your camera, so added points there!

Having been temporarily blinded countless times by light hitting the water I'd leave the highlights as they are, maybe not technically correct, but very lifelike.

Hope you post more from the trip

Mike

[Marc Mol]

Love the comp, water colour and eye contact here Dan agree on trying a tad of dodging to eek out any detail in the eye, if it's possible.

Great work on also on the H/L's detail in both the baby and water.

TFS

[Morkel Erasmus]

Strong diagonals working for you here, Dan. A whale is one of the animals nobody can fault you for not including the whole snout/muzzle in a portrait LOL :5
I love the colour of the water - and some good suggestions were given above in teasing out a tad more detail from this image.
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