Theme: puffin with fish

[annmpacheco]

Here's my first processed puffin from Iceland. This is full frame and no crop. I wish i had more shutter speed but i was already at iso 2000 and this is all new gear for me so i wanted to play it safe. Dodged the eyes, sharpened, NR, and desaturated orange a few points. It was very very windy and it was amazing to witness puffins managing the wind, maneuvering themselves so gracefully, and witnessing puffin poses I have never ever seen before. With this gusty westerly wind, the puffins would over shoot their home base, balance themselves during a hover, and if it was a go they would catch the wing slide backwards, and then move sideways for the landing. If they couldn't touch down during the attempt, they would fly out to the sea, circle, and try again.

D5
500mmPF

ISO 2000
6.3
1/2500

[Joseph Przybyla]

Love the head position and the mouthful of fish. I don't mind the motion blur on both wings, the body of the bird is sharp and nicely colored. I think the darkest area of the background is unfortunate. Thank you for sharing, Ann.

[Daniel Cadieux]

What a beak-full! Neat pose as you point out and we really get the feel that it is fighting the wind. I agree with Joe about he dark area, and I also feel the image could use a bit of a lift in exposure (it feels dark a bit). Other than that...all good, and rather entertaining!

[William Dickson]

Hi Ann...Fab frame. I realise you need a really fast SS with these birds, I think I would have went even higher on the ISO as it looks slightly under exposed here, and at a higher ISO on a full frame image would hardly make any difference to the final IQ. I would try lightening up the whole image. Focus is spot on.

Will

[annmpacheco]

Love the head position and the mouthful of fish. I don't mind the motion blur on both wings, the body of the bird is sharp and nicely colored. I think the darkest area of the background is unfortunate. Thank you for sharing, Ann.

Hi Joe, thanks for commenting. I actually like that dark area bc it is a the entrance to a group of burrows that many puffins share. It is the earth that has been excavated by the puffins under neath the ground. Maybe should have included the habitat explanation, but okay if it isn't
pleasing to you. Thanks

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Hi Ann,

This is a great flight capture. That you were able to capture such a perfect head turn with beak full of fish, with his speed is wonderful. Nice and sharp in all the right places. Beautifully done, and welcome home. I'm sure you and Gail had a great time. Looking forward to more images from Iceland.

Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu (http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu)

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Ann, thanks for explaining what the dark area is. I understand why you like it, it tells a story.

[gail bisson]

Puffin looks great- and that mouthful of fish rocks.
I too, am not crazy about the dark area created by the burrows. I would dodge it using the dodge tool set at 10%. You get to keep the burrow and it pulls the eye away a bit less.
Also, if you increase the exposure by 1/2 stop that will lighten the dark area as well.

[Juan Tolentino]

Great job getting this shot Ann. Ditto the suggestions already given (Shutter speed, raising the exposure and making the dark area less noticeable) TFS.

[dankearl]

When I first looked at this, all I saw was a nice mouthful of fish... Then
I read the comments and the dark area stood out.
Then I read your comment and I like it because I know what it is..
i should just go with my first impression,, a very nice mouthful of fish.

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

I am not so sure on the whites.

I think is the did not intersect the wing and if the dark patch is not present then this would have been s stronger image.

TFS

[Matt Sutherland]

Hi, Ann. This is sharp where it needs to be and suggestive of fighting the wind where it is not. You have plenty of room to the right and a great head angle with eye contact. Plus you got the fish, plus you got the eyes of the fish. Would be interesting to see what a little exposure bump does, but I love it regardless.

[John Mack]

I can see why you like this one. Nice view of all those fish. Don't really mind the dark spot in the background here.

[Bill Dix]

Hi Ann. Nice work just keeping him in the full frame as he was getting thrown around by the wind. Good eye contact, nice mouthful. Yes to lifting it just a bit, at least the burrow part.

[Bob Smith]

Great head-on look at the one Ann with focus dead on on the eyes and beakfull ( is that a word?) of fish. Nice work getting such a fine full frame capture of such a fast moving subject.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/ee3d5ef2/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/ee3d5ef2/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

[Dorian Anderson]

What an awesome payload! You really nailed him to get the perfectly direct stare! I wish for more DOF on the subject, both across the wings and onto those wonderful orange feet. The BG is what it is; it's an imperfect but completely natural and representative shot.

[Arthur Morris]

Windy, windy, windy. Love the pose and the look. I took am wishing for an all-green BKGR.

with love, a