One easy gull among the pleasant Ontario sands

Well, here's a gull, a young one. Taken with the Canon 7D and 70-300L at 300mm. iso500, 1/320, f5.6. I was happily experimenting with all sorts of different shooting angles. Inspired by some of you low-goers, I even lay down in the fetid dropping-peppered sand. But this angle appealed more than the lowest: provided a nicer background and so forth. Anyhow! I like this shot. Will you? Why? Why not? Oh please do illuminate me! This is approximately 75% of the original capture. Hi, folks! No shorebirds here in Toronto, not by a long shot, and so I make do with these juvenile gulls. To me, they are vaguely similar. A lad can dream! Good night!
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Hi Jack, good eye contact, and your angle works well. I like how the colours of the beach BG compliment the gull. I can see that the gull is posed on a slight slope, but I would try a version using a bit of CW rotation to have him standing 'straight up'.:w3

Hi Jack,agre on the colors,and eye contact,bird looks like its had one too many:cheers:

I'd straighten him up and add just a bit more contrast to him. The beak looks a little lost and I think that might help.

Hi folks, many thanks for writing in. I prefer the gull sloped as he is (hence the photograph!) but obviously I more than appreciate your opinions. Grace: good idea about the extra contrast, I'll give that a try.

I like it. It does indeed need contrast (or, just deeper blacks as the brighter whites look OK). I would also have preferred the subject a bit higher in the frame. It's not the right ime of year for shorebirds...but keep an eye out as migration is soon to start with them!

Interesting subject here with quite a bit of character. First off, the crop isn't working for me, and I might be tempted to try a traditional vertical. While I understand your thoughts on wanting the bird as photographed, I have a tough time believing the bird was at this much of a slope and from looking at just the sand, it appears to need a slight bit of CW rotation which would probably still put him on a slope but less so. Agree on a little more contrast and/or SAT.

If memory serves, I lowered the contrast a little bit...agree wholeheartedly to boosting it. The gull was doing a little wiggle dance and in fact he was slopey at this moment. Believe what you will, Marina, we all have our beliefs, that's for sure! As for a slight rotation, how could it hurt? Quite right! Daniel: the shorebirds will be back, it's true...I'll have to leave town but at least I won't have to go down to F-L-A.

Excellent folks, rotating the image won't "work for me" as they say, but I have applied some contrast. I prefer it this way...
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