Harbor Seal Pup

[Fabs Forns]

La Jolla, California

D3, 200-400/4 plus 1.7X
Wide open @ 6.7
s/s 1/800, iso 400
I could have cropped some form bottom, but wanted to keep the golden sand. Do you think it would work better that way, compositionally speaking?

Comments appreciated

[soleynicola]

So beautifully composed.. no expert. but like the sand at the bottom also.. it carries the reflection..
only my opinion maybe crop just above the grey area in the bottom left hand corner, will still give quality of the sand/reflection.. and quality of the whole image..!

Its Gorgeous...!!!

N

[Christof Ruch]

Hi Fabs, this is gorgeous! About the crop - I like it as is, maybe just the little corner like Nicola suggested, though I fear that this puts the head too close to the vertical center. If cropping this, I'd go with a drastic cut right at ~the "a" of your "scapes", making it more of a pano format.

Christof

[Krijn Trimbos]

It is a gorgeous shot with beautiful colours! I think the way you cropped it is fine! I do wonder what it would look like leveled, I realise that this is a natural tilt but I was still wondering. Also there seems to be some kind of blur on the left side of the seal and it looks a bit out of place since the right side of the seal is sharp, did you use gaussian blur?? Otherwise an excellent shot!

[Jim Poor]

I like it cropped and not cropped equally well. Different feeling to each for sure, but both good.

[Judd Patterson]

Yeah, Fabs, this is awesome! I love the composition with the surf up in the right side...and the reflection in the sand. Such a cute little guy and a well executed photograph. Nice work!

[Phil Colla]

The composition is strong just as it is, the sand and reflection is an important part of the story.

[Jasper Doest]

Hi Fabs,

I love the golden sand here......and composition wise I think you did well....

Photographing at natural slopes (without the horizon in frame) is really a challenge....and I am not sure if I like it here. Perhaps if you would have moved a bit more to the right, around the seal you could have created an image without the surf in the composition, still showing that golden sand. Also, the slope would have been less obvious that way. Did you do anything to your background, as the left side seems a bit unnatural soft, with the DOF ending right behind the flipper (while it seems like there is more DOF on the flipper on the right hand side).

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great setting, light and mood. I'm with Krijn and Jasper and wonder what it would like if it were leveled despite the slope.

[Georgina Salup]

Fab, adorable subject. Great low angle with beautiful light and composition. Two days to see them in real life!!!

[Nonda Surratt]

I love the soft dreamy feel to this image.

[DanWalters]

Nice shot. Really like the crop and the colors in the sand.

[D. Robert Franz]

A lovely image as is Fabs. The surf does distract the eye but also gives the viewer more information on the environment.A good trade off in this image I think...