Fulmar

[William Dickson]

Canon 5D4
f/4 500mm with 1.4
f/7.1
1/3200
ISO 640

The Fulmars have now returned to the cliffs in my hometown where they will eventually nest. This is one from the weekend, where this bird had chosen a nesting site under overhanging sandstone, perfect location for a nest. I managed to get myself into a position nearby to get a better POV as all were near to the top of the cliff. On several occasions other Fulmars attacked it, hoping to get the site. On more than one occasion he shot out orange oily liquid over the intruders to frighten them away. Quite spectacular to watch and photograph.

Will

[John Mack]

Like the light on this one. The calling pose is nice. Good details in the whites.

[Arthur Morris]

You did well with the relatively harsh, off-angled light.

with love, artie

[Isaac Grant]

Pretty cool image of a fulmar. You are quite lucky to see them like this. On the east coast of the US we just get them out over the ocean. Light was harsh and shooting angle a bit steep on this one.

[Dorian Anderson]

Seeing pelagics on land is always fun! Exposure on the face looks pretty good, especially with the side lighting, but the upward angle is tough. If we had either foreground or background elements this would work better; with both its a bit busy and distracts from the bird. Contrast helps though.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Will, I quite like it, especially with the subject calling. Removing the Blue cast will help, but I feel you have compounded the lighting conditions via Curves? Looks like you were at eye level with the subject.

TFS
Steve

[gail bisson]

Hi Will,
I usually love your images but this one is definitely not on my "William Dickson Top Ten" list!:bg3:
I find the side lighting very harsh and the image very contrasty.
Gail

[William Dickson]

Thanks guys, I reckon this was more of a sentimental image for me...I was so excited by them returning to my hometown..Have been since I was a wee boy :S3:

Will

[William Dickson]

Hi Will, I quite like it, especially with the subject calling. Removing the Blue cast will help, but I feel you have compounded the lighting conditions via Curves? Looks like you were at eye level with the subject.

TFS
Steve

Hi Steve...Is the blue cast very apparent on your monitor...the reason I ask, is that it looks ok here, maybe the shadows from the 'small cave'. I do notice it on the grasses in the FG. I did burn them a wee bit. Yes the light was very bright for early morning, difficult to get the exposure on the whites...I thought with this one shadowed partially by the cliff, was easier to expose for the whites. Yes it was Curves after lowering the highlights slightly and getting the histogram around about 238 max for the whites. I think the 'eye level' is an optical illusion because of the sandstone in the BG curving towards the top of the image(small cave look)

Will