Gannet portrait

[Rene Quenneville]

Sorting through my files from last summer, I found this one. It is somewhat unusual bird picture. What do you think of such a composition? I chose to cut and not to clip. I framed to have the bird touching the 4 sides of the frame, some will say it increases the level of energy conveyed by the image. In this case,is it too much or overdone?
Have I saturated my colors too much?
1/1000s
f/11
ISO 400
420 mm
fill flash

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Exposure control, details and color are great. I don't mind the very tight crop but would prefer the eye to be higher in the frame.

[denise ippolito]

Rene, This is fantastic, I like the colors and the details-I think the crop is interesting.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Rene
Axel has a good point. I think it would be much stronger if the eye was on one of the "rule of thirds" intersecting points, in this case the upper left point. Still, as is, I love the way you cropped so tight and not really knowing all that well why this would be too saturated, I like the color saturation.

It's really, really powerful. :)

[Ramon M. Casares]

I agree with Axel´s comment, I would have covered the upper corners at least, still, this is a terrific shot with great level of detail, light, exposure and color! Congratulations!

[Juan Aragonés]

The eye is the most interesting/attractive part of this image and I think that it is too much centered. If the eye were placed in a higher position it would be great (I agree with Axel) but if you put the eye higher you will have to crop part of the nice and rich yellow color of the head and I love that color. I miss the bill´s tip and a more direct eye contact but do not take me wrong, I like thi simage a lot and I would be very happy having one like this on my files ;-)

[Tony Whitehead]

Love the details and saturation seems fine to me. I like this as presented and can identify with wanting to keep as much of that head colour, especially with the nice curve of the feather texture on the head. I think as it stands a crop removing about 1/3 from the top to achieve a squarish format would work as it brings in an almost diagonal with the bill and eye and raises the eye in the image. Very nice capture.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Beautiful image with a gorgeous eye and a very interesting and appealing crop. I like it very much as presented as it would be such a loss lose that wonderful head color. Thanks for sharing.

[Rene Quenneville]

Here is a similar pose with a more traditional crop. Thank you for your comments, they have expressed many of my struggles with the tight crop. Please let me know which of the 2 pictures you prefer.

[Grady Weed]

The first one! But either one is great. The eye is more prominent and shows the blue better. You should sell these, both of them! How much for a print, seriously?

[John Ippolito]

I really like the first one-as presented. I'm not sure how you would get the eye in a better position without losing the great upper part of the head that is so important in this image. Very nice tight portrait-well done indeed!