A Puffin for Lance...

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi everyone!
I'm back from my holidays...:(...but it's always good to be home...:)
Lance, just to assure you that I am indeed keeping those puffins warm for you...:eek:
40D 100-400 @ 400mm
ISO 400
AV F8 1/500 sec
Skomer Island in May, cloudy but bright.
Best regards to all and many thanks for your c & c's.
Nicki

[Katie Rupp]

Welcome back, I hope you had a wonderful time, Nicki. Another great Puffin image, so intimate, exposure is right on; I might lighten the eye a bit.

[Gus Cobos]

Lady Nicki,
How are you? Welcome back, hope you had a wounderful vacation...we missed you...:)
I love your composition, and capture. I modified it just a tad. I lightened the eye and sprinkled selective sharpening. I boosted contrast just a little...see if you like...good show...:cool:

[Doug Brown]

Love this one Nicki! I would selectively lighten the iris and leave everything else as is. Welcome back from your vacation!

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi guys,
Thank you so much for your kind wishes and Gus for your repost, although I feel that the eye is now a little too light. Actually I find that puffins' eyes are really difficult to get right as they are naturally quite light but they can look a bit freaky if one is not careful....:eek: Also I feel that in this image the eye needs to be slightly darker to fit in with the intimate mood of the picture. Does anyone agree with this?
Regards,
Nicki

[Katie Rupp]

I would like to see the iris just a little lighter and agree that Gus's version is too much...

[Harold Davis]

really like the soft mood of the original!! welcome back ms nicki!! we missed you!

[Nonda Surratt]

Nicki I hope you had a great time..I love your Puffins. On the eye maybe just a bit more contrast in the iris??? Really like this image as is, great close-up

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Thank you all so much for the comments and the welcome - you guys are the best! I just wanted to say to all my friends in Florida that I am thinking of you all so much at the moment with all the storms that are going your way. Stay safe all of you.
Regards,
Nicki

[Amy DeStefanis]

Hi Nicki! Is this where you went on vacation??? We are thinking about going to Maine next year - in large part thanks to some of your incredible photos of these amazing birds!!! :) Starting to do the research this weekend.

I like the original post - though maybe a LITTLE brightening of the eye... On my monitor, the eye as re-posted by Gus is maybe a little too bright, IMO...

Amy D.

P.S.: We have the hurricane shutters either on the house or on standby. That's the price of living in paradise, I guess!!! Thanks for your good thoughts!

[Lance Peters]

Hi Nickis - welcome back hope you had a great holiday.

Thanks for the Puffin :) :) I love it - great shot - agree with just a tad more lightness in the eye (Not as much as Gus's)

What was it with Gordon Ramsay - saw him on T.V. the other night trying to catch Puffins to cook and eat them - BAD BAD Gordon Ramsay!!!

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi Lance,
:(...BAD BAD Gordon Ramsay - I shall have to have words with him for sure...can you believe some people...:confused:
Glad you liked the picture!!
Hi Amy,
Actually I went to Amsterdam and Stockholm for my holiday - the puffin pictures were taken in May and June. They live at sea for nine months of the year and come ashore to breed between May and July. The colony that I photographed live on Skomer, a tiny uninhabited island off the SW tip of Wales. It is just about doable as a day trip from where I live and is truly my idea of the perfect day out! So glad to hear that you are planning that trip to Maine - that is something that I would love to do in the future.
I do remember those hurricane shutters from the time we spent in Boca Raton - very stressful - I shall continue to think of you all.
Best regards,
Nicki

[Alfred Forns]

One Sweet image Nicki !!!! Love that crop it is very appealing Would only lighten a bit Big Time Congrats !!!!

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Missed you Nicki. Awesome capture and very sharp.

[Alberto Oria]

Nicki, I like your puffins so much,