Galapagos #2

[Arthur Morris]

We spent an hour on the edge of a cliff trying for top shots of Swallow-tailed gulls in flight. This was my best. The image was created with the Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (handheld) with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the white sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode.

I painted a QM of the BKGR, ran a 40 pixel Gaussian blur on the mask, and erased the edges of the bird. Full frame. Central sensor AI Servo AF.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

ps: Punta Suarez on Hood Island, where we spent 6 1/2 hours, is right up there with Antarctica, East Africa, and Midway when it comes to ops for great nature photography.

pps: If there are any sweet, happy folks out there who would like to join me in July 2010, click here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=304323#post304323

[Amy Marques]

I like the overall soft, neutral gray tones and how the red eye ring is the only object of color. The gaussian blur is natural looking and makes the bird pop out nicely.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the topside view, eye contact and exposure control. What a cool bird! If it were mine I might crop a tad top and right and I find the lower left corner a bit dark. Going there is pretty high up on my wish list.

[Fabs Forns]

Good job in the p/p, love the monochromatic palette and the eye standing out, really sharp.

[Lana Hays]

Artie
First I've seen of this gull....beautiful. The bird is wonderful....but that BG is something else. I don't think I've seen a BG as complementary to a bird as this one. Well done.

[Brian Barcelos]

This has to be one of the coolest looking gulls, never seen one before. Exposure came out great and the BG looks convincing. The red ring and catch light put this over the top for me. I'd like to see it with Axels comp. Congrats.

Brian

[Jay Gould]

It is so perfect in every detail it looks like a painting, or a finely carved sculpture perfectly painted it is so beautiful. It feels motionless like it is floating in the BG. Magnificent!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Agreed with Eagle-eyed Axel about crop Artie. Looks just a little too centered. I love the exposure and great work on the BG. :)

[Phil Ertel]

Very nice! I agree with all the nice comments above. This is definitely a case of the "eyes" have it (in this case the eye:)).

[Arthur Morris]

I like the topside view, eye contact and exposure control. What a cool bird! If it were mine I might crop a tad top and right and I find the lower left corner a bit dark. Going there is pretty high up on my wish list.

OK. Repost as advised. For Oshkosh too.

Axel, if you can get some time off this would be the premier Galapagos trip ever:

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=304323#post304323

It would be great to have you along.

[Ilija Dukovski]

My better half commented "That image is perfect"
Can't argue there:)

The bird is a dream, flight angle perfect, the BG has great colors
that don't distract from the bird and very nice texture, perfectly noiseless.
Can't wait for more Galapagos images....

[Daniel Cadieux]

What a cool species of gull this is!! The red eyering is quite striking against the overall monochromatic look to the image. I really like the reposted comp.

P.S. I like the dark corner...

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Ilija for your kind words. I love your wife :) :D :)

Just for the record books, here is what the BKGR looked like in the ORIG.

More for the record books. The ORIG post was not full frame....

[Arthur Morris]

What a cool species of gull this is!! The red eyering is quite striking against the overall monochromatic look to the image. I really like the reposted comp.

P.S. I like the dark corner...

Thanks Dan. I like the dark corner too....

[Brian Barcelos]

Love the re post Artie. Either way this image was a winner. Thanks for posting the original also, it's great to see the PP magic that comes from you.

Brian

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks a ton Brian. Photoshop lets me bring out the painter in me....

[Raymond Barlow]

very nicely done Artie, imo, a difficult composition with the birds head being so close to the center of the frame, no matter how you cut it... I might have added canvas to the bottom and left, and moved the bird well up into the top right of the final image.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Thanks Ilija for your kind words. I love your wife :) :D :)

YAW Me too:)

Thanks for posting the original. Correct me if I'm wrong but here you did quite aggressive
blur in the BG. That means the edge refinement here was done with great skill.
I'd say that's one of the secret ingredients here.

[Ramon M. Casares]

That second post is my favorite, excellent angle, nice light, great pose, nice BG, and stunning exposure, if something IMO, I would try it with more saturation.
Congratulations!

[Desmond Chan]

I also think the second one is better in terms of the composition.

Great shot ! Don't know what else to add :)

[Stu Bowie]

What a cool looking gull, and you have exposed him nicely. Sharp, and you did a great job on the BG Artie. Great image.

[Markus Jais]

Beautiful shot. I like the repost even more. Great exposure and wonderful BG. The red ring around the eye is great.

Markus

[Ryan Lambert]

Super image Artie, I like te comp of the repost, good detail captured and that eye is stunning, I quite like the angle here giving a bit of a dorsal view...congrats

ps what was the background?

[Kiran Poonacha]

Beautiful one Authur Bhai... loved the way you have done this up, I prefer the second crop. Loved the focus and the way you handled the whites.. Keep them coming...

[Krijn Trimbos]

You've gotta love gulls especially this species! What a gorgeous bird, great PS technique getting the BG nice and smooth without that apparent GB effect around the birds edges. I love the topdown view, the headturn, the colours and detail in the whites. Would go for Axel's suggested crop but do like the dark corner.

Cheers

[Lance Peters]

Nice P.S. work Artie - what a great bird - love that eye and the top down view.
Sharp as a tack as expected - cant wait to see more magic :)

[christopher galeski]

beautiful shot,beautiful bird,I am not a gull fan,but this is mint.thanks.

[Arthur Morris]

YAW Me too:)

Thanks for posting the original. Correct me if I'm wrong but here you did quite aggressive
blur in the BG. That means the edge refinement here was done with great skill.
I'd say that's one of the secret ingredients here.

Ilija,

:) :) :)

Yes to an agressive blur to the BKGR. Wrong about the great skill with regards to edge refinement. Minus ten points for not reading the original post clearly... :D

Here is what I wrote: I painted a QM of the BKGR, ran a 40 pixel Gaussian blur on the mask, and erased the edges of the bird

later bro!

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Just one critique Artie other than to say I am bloody jealous about your beautiful image and stunning whites (very jealous there)


The image was created with the Canon 400mm f/5.6 IS DO lens (handheld) with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the white sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode.


I was just wondering how you got a 400mm f/5.6 IS DO to drop down to f/4.5 in manual Mode, my 400 f/5.6 simply won't do it. :)

[Arthur Morris]

Super image Artie, I like te comp of the repost, good detail captured and that eye is stunning, I quite like the angle here giving a bit of a dorsal view...congrats ps what was the background?

Thanks Ryan. The background was black lava rock plus some gull poop!

[Arthur Morris]

Just one critique Artie other than to say I am bloody jealous about your beautiful image and stunning whites (very jealous there). I was just wondering how you got a 400mm f/5.6 IS DO to drop down to f/4.5 in manual Mode, my 400 f/5.6 simply won't do it. :)

Hey Christopher, Better to be envious than to be jealous :)

The 400mmm IS DO lens is an f/4. Sorry for the brain typo; must have been my fond memories of the old 400mm f/5.6L....

I will fix that in the original post. Thanks for catching that.

[Arthur Morris]

A note on the COMP. With the bird's head centered as in the original post, the bird itself is not centered. There is lots more room from the tip of the near-wing to the right hand frame edge than from the tip of the far wing to the left hand frame edge. I sorta like the original COMP but surely a crop from the right and the back is another option.

[colincarter]

lovely shot Arthur, great pp work as usual. I have to say that i like the original shot aswell. Top down views on birds always pruduce lovely shots as you get to see all the patterns on the birds backs.

great work with the whites on the bird aswell and i like the composition of the shot.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

The 400mmm IS DO lens is an f/4. Sorry for the brain typo; must have been my fond memories of the old 400mm f/5.6L....No worries Artie, at Randy's suggestion I now have two stuffed Pandas to practice my whites on, and one of them is called "Artie" and the other "Randy" so you are still helping me even if vicariously.

I am now using the 400 f/5.6 as I can still fit it in my bike pannier unlike the larger lenses and I love it even on the 5D MKII.

My Grandfather took me to the Galapagos in the early sixties but I would kill to go there again before they stuff them up, but thanks for the wonderful images anyway.

Sorry you are not making the Australian tour, but old mate we have no bloody water where we need it so maybe another year.

Take care Artie and thanks for everything.


The 400mmm IS DO lens is an f/4.

Artie! I will send you the address of my Geriatric specialist as you and me are aging rather quicker than we would like, a 400mmm IS DO, you Americans don't get metric do you. :)

All the best Cobber.

[Harshad Barve]

I loved this image in both posts
Arthur Morris means Great:)
I am not joking , All time greats of Australian Cricket team declared by ESPN , There is one Arthur Morris

Arthur Morris (http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/6644.html)
Arthur Morris was well organised and serene at the crease, and from those twin centuries he made on NSW debut when aged 18 through his prolific Test match seasons and tours, he was the epitome of self-assuredness and unflappability. Don Bradman's instant support for him never wavered, and Morris' crowning moment was probably when he topped the figures on that memorable 1948 tour of England. David Frith

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/414510.html

I was looking at some threads you have started , Sir take my bows , You are awesome
I should thank you for allowing me to be part of this beautiful forum
So much to learn

Harshad

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Harshad and Chris. You have both put a big smile on my face. As for the 400mmm lens, that is not a typo. My keyboard usually prints two "m"s each time I touch the m key... I usually catch it.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Never mind master, you speak through your work not your typing and for that we are eternally grateful and constantly amazed.
<o></o>
Thank you Artie.<o></o>

[Arthur Morris]

Never mind master, you speak through your work not your typing and for that we are eternally grateful and constantly amazed. Thank you Artie.<O></O>

:) :) :) :) :) Thanks again for your more than kind words.

[Doug Brown]

Really like this one Artie, in particular the recrop. Great topside view and super eye contact. Perfect exposure too.

[Kris Mortensen]

I think its an absolutely stunning image! I love the overal tone, and how the focus is on the color around the eye. I love it!