I cannot stop loving these gulls!

[Jack Breakfast]

Ring-billed gulls! Alright! I can't argue with myself anymore. I do sometimes pretend that these flying rats are different and more exotic featherbirds, but trust me, I'm not complaining. They appeal to me, aesthetically speaking, and their behaviour is a joy to observe...but I also like square pictures and pictures with the bird in the centre, so I realize that perhaps my sanity may be held in question.
Taken with the Canon 7D and 200mm f2.8L at iso400, 1/1600, f2.8...
I will welcome your comments and suggestions and opinions and ideas. Many thanks, folks...
111033

[dankearl]

Nice shot. Maybe a tighter crop if you can, but with 200mm, you probably cropped to the limit of IQ.
I like flying Rats.

[Ron Sprunger]

Great shot Jack. I too think gulls make wonderful subjects, and this is a really nice action shot, with both birds in focus and good balance on the frame.

[Colin Driscoll]

Good behavioral shot, excellent wingspread. Maybe some lh levels adjustment to separate birds from sky more.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks so much folks. Dan, this shot is only somewhat cropped, probably 75% of the original image. I could certainly crop in a little more. Speaking of flying rats, and I'm glad you like them too, there are those great flying dog-faced ratbats that I learned about from looking at Ofer Levy's site. He's got one particularly spiffy picture of a grey-headed flying fox with its nasty little tongue sticking out! A real dogface! Sorry, Colin? What does "lh" mean in "lh levels" and please know in advance that I probably agree with you!

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jack, you have done exceptionally well to capture this action, and both in focus and sharp. I like the similar wing positions, and if anything, I would try and lighten the back gull a touch more. Great work from you.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks Stuart! Spending much time with r.b. gulls has allowed me to access to their world of secrets. Just joking! But anyhow, thanks for the comment and compliment. I'm inclined to agree with you RE lightening the back gull a little bit...

[Doug Brown]

<embed id="application/x-exifeverywhere" type="application/x-exifeverywhere" width="0" height="0">Nice action captured. I know you didn't have a ton of light, but when photographing two birds it's a good idea to emphasize DOF a little more. You could bump your shutter speed to 1/1000, increase your ISO to 640, and then stop down to f/4. A potentially great photo can be spoiled when one of the birds is OOF.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks Doug, that's good advice. In this case I think both birds look just fine, as both birds are in focus...in general, I do agree with you...this photo was taken a little while back and since then I've learned a few things (many of them from folks like you on this fine forum) and would bump my ISO to 800 in similar situations so as to stop down to f4 at least. I don't know that I have the panning skills to freeze fast-flying gulls at 1/1000, personally speaking. As we all know, sometimes gulls can get pretty whizzy...they were going FAST here! A real CHASE!

[Colin Driscoll]

Jack, by lh levels I meant moving the left hand slider to the right in Photoshop levels. Don't rush to agree, I could well be wrong :)

[Jack Breakfast]

Ah! Thanks for clarifying...