Immature Pacific Gull metamorphisis

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

This is a Pacific Gull that is turning from its Immature state where it is all brown to the adult state where it is a beautiful white body with black wings and a yellow beak with a red tip.

For some reason they tend to stay away from land during this phase and are frequently shunned by both brown immature and adult gulls.

Captured on a 1D MK III, 400 f/5.6 L at f/6.3, ISO 800 (cloudy day) 1/1000 sec, Pattern metering, AP, +0.3 step




file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Chris/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg

[Stu Bowie]

Lovely inflight posture Christopher, and you have exposed the eye nicely. These guys have quite a beak on them. I would maybe select the water BG and darken it, to enhance the gull.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thank you Stuart I had considered that but was concerned about blending the wing top with the darker water however I will experiment in PS.

Thanks again.

[Stu Bowie]

Chris, by no means darken it to lose the wings, but slightly to make a difference. Mostly, slight differences do the trick.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thanks Stuart I will return to the RAW file and experiment (I am fairly useless at PS)

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

http://birdphotographers.net/forums/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/IMG_2926rz3.jpg%5B/IMG%5DI have darkened the water in the original but how do I change my posted image?

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/IMG_2926rz3.jpg

[Axel Hildebrandt]

http://birdphotographers.net/forums/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/IMG_2926rz3.jpg%5B/IMG%5DI have darkened the water in the original but how do I change my posted image?

Just reply to your own thread and attach the image as usual. That way we can see and compare the changes.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

You could just select the BG and change the midtones. In the repost the bird has a color cast and the BG has much more noise than the original.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thanks Axel

[Lance Peters]

Hi - yo often see these guys at Port Fairy - and can get quite close to them in the late afternoon.

Check out the educational resources forum for all sorts of PS help and tutorials and or the ETL forum :)

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thanks Lance, I will.

Have you ever visited Lady Julia percy Island down that way, it is magic for BIF but don't fall in, Whitey lives there, BIG Whitey.

[Lance Peters]

Not Lady Julia - Fav spot is the Gannet Colony on Lawerence Rocks in Portland.