Black-headed Gull

[Mats Honkamaa]

http://obj.fotosidan.se/obj/photo/4f/4f740ec0bb4abae98dda465d23bbf462.jpg

Camera: Canon EOS 400D
Lens: Canon EF 400/5.6L USM
Focal Lenght: 400 mm
Shutterspeed: 1/800 sec
Aperture Value: f/5.6
Exposure: -0.7 steps
ISO: 400

2 weeks of vacation visiting 6 different countries in Europe and this is what I come home with! :D My question is how to be successfull photographing a bird with both very light and very dark colors? Would it have helped if it was a sunny day? All comments welcome, I want to improve and need help. Thanks in advance!

[Alfred Forns]

HI Mats ...... actually you want soft light (early morning/ late afternoon) or heavy overcast !!!

Making the image on a sunny day would be difficult, lots of contrast. You will overexposed the light area to expose the darks .... or exposed the dark properly and blow the whites. With overcast you can actually have both well exposed.

As presented the image looks dark overall, will work on it and post Not sure is the ground was sloping? Do like the low angle and appears sharp!!!

[Mats Honkamaa]

Thanks Alfred for great comment and help once again!
The sun was pretty high on the sky this day, the sky was 100% covered with pretty thick clouds so no hard light at all.
The ground was sloping but I am not sure I held the camera excactly straight (taken hand held laying on the ground).

[Harold Davis]

nice one mats!! does have a nice feel to it. i like al's repost. looks great.

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

I agree - well done Mats!

[Katie Rupp]

Hi Mats,
Nice bird; I like the colors and the detail; good info from Alfred.

[Lance Peters]

Well done matt - like the repost.

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Great capture Mats, it has a very soft feel to it, excellent BG.
Congrats

[Nonda Surratt]

Agree, nice job Mats nice -re-post too!

[Gus Cobos]

Nice job Mats, looks good...:cool: