Sand Blown Rockhopper

[Ross Konigsburg]

D3
300 2.8
ISO 800
1/1600 at f5
Hand held

[Grace Scalzo]

Ross, I love the feel of this. Great low angle and the blowing sand gives good feeling. While I do like the oof birds behind the main subject, I wish that the one directly behind the main one wasn't so close. Do you have any with a bit more separation? If not, I personally would lighten the black a bit so it doesn't compete.

[Don Nelson]

This one is backlit -- note the dark under the chin, and the white on the inside of upper "wings" and sides of waist. I would wish for frontal lighting.
Reducing the black in the colors of the birds behind (including neutrals and blacks, reds, yellows) using Selective Color adjustment layer just looks strange, although I might be convinced they were obscured by blowing snow (not sand as that would also obscure top of front bird as much as the feet are)...
If this were mine, I'd work at cloning out the birds in back instead.

[Ross Konigsburg]

Don,

I am trying to understand your post. The image was taken around noon Falklands time. The dark under the chin is due to the sun being almost directly overhead and the wings are lit due to the reflected light from the water and sand. The comment about reducing blacks does not make sense since the selective color filter was used by me to remove a cyan cast to the image and not blacks reds or any other color. The wind was blowing close to 40 mph and that combined with using a 300mm lens gives the effect you say looks strange. I should also note that the temperature was over 70 degrees F, so there was no snow. Given how fine the sand is and the wind, it is very similar to conditions on a very cold day where ice crystals in the air and causes everything to have a shallow depth of field. The front bird was sharpened and nik tonal filter and pro contrast was used to further isolate it. Further at I was on my belly taking the image in order to fully image the impact of the sand. Cloning out the birds in the back would radically change the mood, reality, and the quality of the image. So given the above, please let me know what your post means.

[Don Nelson]

Ross
Just some suggestions. Take or leave them.
The image, as is, doesn't work for me.
YMMV
Don

[Brendan Dozier]

Really like the waddle pose and low angle to this, Ross. Agree with Grace regarding bird directly behind.

[Hayath Mohammed]

Really like the "army" feel to this with the lead penguin in front, the lifted leg adds to the feel.

Nice control on the whites too!

[christopher galeski]

like this image Ross,not one for blured birds in BG in images,but this one works,makes the front bird stand out more,nice one thanks for showing.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Ross, I like this one. well seen and executed. I like such shots with OOF BG birds. what a pose on the first bird...the raised foot, the body tilt...excellent. terrific low angle.

[Daniel Cadieux]

You've managerd to get alot of personality on the waddling front bird! I like the image too, and I'm Ok with birds in the BG...but Grace took the words out of my mouth in regards to them. Very nice, including the lighting (the face is lit perfectly).