Snow Flying...

[Arthur Morris]

Just got back from a great Southern Oceans voyage: the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. This image was created with the tripod-mounted (with the legs splayed to ground level with the Mongoose m3.6) Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 2X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/10 confirmed by blinkies/histogram check and set manually.

Gentoo Penguin stretching, Cuverville Island, Antarctica. The 300 2.8 II was the perfect long lens for this trip. See more at Home From the Southern Oceans Trip (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2012/01/26/home-from-the-southern-oceans-trip/).

Don't be shy; all honest comments and critiques welcome.

[Ofer Levy]

Terrific image!!! It has it all - action and behaviour and perfect techs!!! If anything I would like to see the bird slightly smaller in the frame to allow some more room for the action.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Ofer. I would not mind a bit more room myself. I forgot: fill flash at -3 stops with Better Beamer.

[Marina Scarr]

I had a feeling there was flash when I first saw the image but you always mention it, so I thought it must be snow passing in front of his eye. This is one kick butt image. Love the pose/behavior!!! Yes extra room would have given him more of a sense of movement but i just love the playfulness of this image. Might have thought he was sledding on his chest had you not mentioned he was stretching.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

That's pretty funny. I really like the expression and eye contact that go well with the crazy behavior.

[Randy Stout]

Artie:

The raised wings, head and cool feet, with low angle, make this great. The only thing that struck me initially was the look of the eye. It looks almost sunken, but perhaps this is an adaptation where they can close it for diving? Suppose it could be an optical illusion created by the flash. Looks like a Ranger Rick kind of image to me! (And I mean that in a very positive sort of way!)

Cheers

Randy

[Karl Egressy]

Nice pose, great DOF, perfect exposure.

[Maya Raut]

I really loved the image...This penguin looks like having fun...exposure, pose, shooting angle everything is so perfect

[Dave Leroy]

I really like the pose with wings and head all pointing up and our right. And nice DOF as well.

[arash_hazeghi]

Excellent dynamic pose, details and exposure. it's a winner for me.

[Aiden Blake]

Kick butt image, and I like the tight shot.

[Richard Unsworth]

Itas all been said, wonderful moment caught expertly

[Jonathan Ashton]

Absolutely superb, love the techs and the pose is terrific. An outstanding shot.

[gail bisson]

Hi Artie,
I love the lines the body position has created in this image. The pop of orange really adds to the monochromatic feel of the shot. Exposure is bang on (as usual). My only nit is the greenish line in the snow that intersects with the beak. If this was mine I would clone in white snow or lighten it.
My favorite part are the little bits of dirt on his belly!
Gail

[Arthur Morris]

Artie: The raised wings, head and cool feet, with low angle, make this great. The only thing that struck me initially was the look of the eye. It looks almost sunken, but perhaps this is an adaptation where they can close it for diving? Suppose it could be an optical illusion created by the flash. Looks like a Ranger Rick kind of image to me! (And I mean that in a very positive sort of way!) Cheers, Randy

Thanks Randy. From the New England Aquariums Penguins Teacher's Guide here (http://www.neaq.org/documents/education_and_activities/teachers_resources/guides/Penguin_TeacherGuide.pdf):

Some penguin species have bare patches (heat windows) around their eyes. These areas have no feathers and allow excess heat to escape. The patches become very pink when the penguin is warm.

Ranger Rick pays very nicely :S3:.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Artie, I love the lines the body position has created in this image. The pop of orange really adds to the monochromatic feel of the shot. Exposure is bang on (as usual). My only nit is the greenish line in the snow that intersects with the beak. If this was mine I would clone in white snow or lighten it. My favorite part are the little bits of dirt on his belly! Gail

Thanks Gail. The green is actually algae on the snow and is what attracted me to this particular bird in the first place :S3:. I will create a version without it when I have some time..... I am glad that I left some of the belly dirt!

[Arthur Morris]

I had a feeling there was flash when I first saw the image but you always mention it, so I thought it must be snow passing in front of his eye. This is one kick butt image. Love the pose/behavior!!! Yes extra room would have given him more of a sense of movement but i just love the playfulness of this image. Might have thought he was sledding on his chest had you not mentioned he was stretching.

Here is a version without flash. As often happens with the MIV, one image in a sequence has flash and the next does not as the system cannot recycle fast enough.... I actually love that it works out that way. I optimized this no flash version without referring to the image in Pane 1. I say often that if folks are given the same image to process seven days in a row in the same room with the same light that they will produce seven distinctly different versions.

I as both amazed and aghast to see that I have cropped the image in Pane 1 a bit. Yikes! Guess that I was very tired. And I like the color balance (especially the BLACKs) in the no flash version as well. I am positive that the difference in color balance was a result of my processing choices rather than the flash....

[Randy Stout]

Artie:

Thanks for the penguin anatomy lesson!

I agree about the 'auto-bracketing' effect of using the flash with rapid shots, it gives you a nice range of fill amounts to chose from.

I went back and forth between the original and the repost (without flash) and it is a close call for me. Something about the illuminated well around the eye (that you explained) seems to bother me, and that effect is less visible in the non flash version.

I might try the non flash version with the subtle horizon catchlight brought up a bit, see how it plays.

I knew that you had good success selling your images to Ranger Rick, and that they were good payers, so this one seems like a natural. Elizabeth gets the magazine, and she knows to look at all the captions on bird photos to see if they are yours!

Cheers

Randy

[Doug Brown]

<embed id="application/x-exifeverywhere" type="application/x-exifeverywhere" width="0" height="0">Thumbs up Artie on a very playful image that is also technically excellent!

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Artie, looks like you had fun and a productive trip. Just love the 'playful' posture here, and you have exposed, and brought out the colours very well. Did I mention sharpness too. In all honesty, both versions work for me.

[Geir Jensen]

Wow, this penguin picture I liked very much. There are many excellent Penguin images. This is different and no one in the crowd.
Wery well done:bg3:

[Don Lacy]

The image made me smile when I open it Artie love the playfulness captures and I much prefer the second image to the first.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very live and funny bird Mr. Morris. Good details on blacks and whites.

[Tommy Rodgers]

Great image showing the mischievous character of the Gentoo. You nailed the blacks and kept the detail in the whites. Both the flash and flashless are great, but I think I prefer the flash. Don't really know why. It just just grabs me. Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Crosswell]

Excellent image Arthur! I like the low angle, action, exposure, DOF and expressive Penguin. I prefer the image with fill flash.

[Robert Holguin]

Excellent shot. Love the pose, excellent detail, and great shooting angle.
Well done.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Welcome back Artie! Man, this image just screams "FUN!" Love the pose and what appears to be this fella sliding on the snow (I know its only stretching). I prefer the slightly warmer version of the OP, the feathers have a richer quality to them to my eyes...

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Fantastic pose, behavior, exposure, comp and sharpness. Welcome back, Artie!