Gentoo Penguin still in the rain

[Ian Wilson]

This is the same individual I posted last week but this time in a more classical pose. Full frame (portrait orientation) with a little trimmed off the top and bottom. Image captured at Hasselborough Bay, Macquarie Is, Australian sub-Antarctic, 6 January 2014. The white pattern and dots on the head are believed to be unique for each individual.
Canon 5DIII + 300 mm f/2.8L II + 2x III extender, hand-held.
Av priority, f/11, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1250.
Processed in DPP: crop, adjust WB, brightness, shad/h'lights, saturation, USM, RAW-TIFF. PS Elements: removed sea-weed from bottom right, selective NR to background, brightened eye, TIFF-JPEG, USM.
Thanks for looking, critical feedback welcome.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely quality to the image excellent details in the plumage, I must admit now you have drawn attention to the cloning I think I can determine where it was, nevertheless a fine shot.

[Bill Dix]

Great up-close-and-personal shot of this fine fellow. Love the fluff on the wing.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Ian, a very 'punchy' image in terms of colour, really 'pops'.

As Bill mentioned, the fluff on the wing is a nice addition, however addressing the cloning & repeat patterns would enhance the image. Getting a low POV has certainly help and worth getting dirty for.

TFS
Steve

[John Robinson]

Grand looking chap. Love the feet- they look like rubber ones stuck on.!
Cheers
JohnR

[Robert Kimbrell]

Hey Ian Great to see something a Lilllie different. I really like the bright feet., also a nice head angle. The cloning is somewhat visible to me also.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Lovely clarity, colour and low angle here - agree that sorting out the cloning patterns will take this up a notch.

[Ian Wilson]

Sorry guys, it was sloppy work, I let down myself and the high standard of the forum. In this repost I have tried to do a better job of removing the sea-weed bottom right and while I was at it, I removed the dark blob on the right of the wing-tip 'fluff'. Thanks for your helpful feedback - much appreciated and I hope a better picture is the result. Regards, Ian

[Grace Scalzo]

It's kind of unfair, I hope that I'm not influenced by your original image, but I still can pick out cloning evidence. Try using a lower opacity. Also, I do find that using a quick mask makes for more natural looking adjustments. That being said, this is a fun image to view with that fuzz on the wing and bright orange feet. He looks just a bit forelorn, real cute. And your exposure is perfect with detail in whites and darks.

[Loi Nguyen]

This is a fun image, very nice pose and color. Never seen one myself, so can comments on the colors, but I;m wondering if the white part should be truly white or a little bit of grey as shown here. The cloning as Grace said can still be seen. I would wish for a little bit more room on the left and at bottom. Loi

[Ian Wilson]

This is a fun image, very nice pose and color. Never seen one myself, so can comments on the colors, but I;m wondering if the white part should be truly white or a little bit of grey as shown here. The cloning as Grace said can still be seen. I would wish for a little bit more room on the left and at bottom. Loi

Hi Loi, Thanks for your kind critique. Your question about the whites is an interesting one. The bird was preening after coming up the beach from the waves in the background so it was nice and clean. I set the WB from the white patch on the bird's head and chest. It looks grey lower down because the brightness is less and the RGB digital numbers favour the red due to the light reflected off the ground and/or the bird's feet. I am working on my cloning technique and hope to do better in the future. Regards, Ian

[David Salem]

Nice look at this beautiful bird. The exposure and detail look great. Keep playing around with the cloning, you will get better. Well done

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Beautiful bird and techs are spot on. Comp is just right for my taste.
TFS these beautiful birds that many of us will likely never see in real life.

[Karl Egressy]

Great looking bird, Ian. Nice pose and excellent detail.

[Binu John]

Beautiful shot, Ian! Excellent pose, composition and POV! Well done!

[Ian Wilson]

Thanks everyone for your generous comments and helpful advice on this image - much appreciated. Cheers, Ian