Katmai Bird #3: For Axel

[Arthur Morris]

These winter plumage adult Mew Gulls were fishing for salmon eggs in the swift water. The image was created with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/4.

I did not crop from the back as I liked the white water in the ulc. This is a healthy crop off the bottom.

Don't be shy. All comments welcome.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thank you! These are very good-looking specimens, must be their diet. :) I also like the light, setting and composition in this one.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Very nice birds, like the composition and the nice crystal clear water,
especially in front of the left bird. I'd probably crop from left,
I know you like the UL water but I'm not too crazy about it.
I like it, love the birds, yet to see one of them...

[Randy Stout]

Artie:

A nice pair. Did you try any with a bit more DOF? It might have brought the BG too much into play, but it would have been nice to have the back bird a bit sharper.

I might consider cropping in from the left, perhaps 1/3 of the free space. It maintains most of the wave you like, and I think it helps work the diagonal from RUC to LLC.

Randy

[Stu Bowie]

Super light and exposure, and I like the colour of the water. The gull on the right doesnt distract from being out of the DOF range, but I would like to see them moved back to the left.

[arash_hazeghi]

Like the composition and pano crop. Wonder how it would look like if both gulls were in focus.

[edgar-junior]

Heyyyy Arthur, Light setting and composition in this one are great like a lot this shot .....;)

[Ramon M. Casares]

Although comp doesn't really works for me I don;t hat it at all, just a matter of tastes. The rest looks fenomenal to me, the textures, the dramatic water, the light, exposure and detail. Very nice indeed! Congratulations Artie.

[kevinmat]

As ever, exposure is just exceptional, color of the water in contrast to the whites of the birds is very pleasing, I would like to see the image with a little more water in the foreground for interests sake.

[Arthur Morris]

Had I been thinking digitally in the field (I preach regularly that folks need to learn to do that), I could and should have pointed the camera to the right and made a few frames so that I could have tried creating a stitched pano....

[Harshad Barve]

Guruji
Fantastic species, nice details , bang on exposure , loved the waters
Compowise , I may try something different ( Ofcourse this is my opinion )
TFS

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Interesting to see this bird swimming on rough water. Not a typical one for sure.
Wish the OOF bird was not in the frame. For me the bg does not work that much as for my taste it is not in harmony with the color of the pleasant pastel-like water.

Szimi