Theme Mountain Lake Gull

[Tony Ardillo]

Canon 1Dx II 600mm, cropped and added canvas to top (tree tops cut off in original), highlight, contrast adjustments in LR. 1/1250 sec f5.6 ISO 100.

first post, go easy on me!

[arash_hazeghi]

Welcome to the forum. You have chosen the right place if your goal is to improve your photography

First the tech's: the camera settings were off, your shutter speed was low and your ISO way too low. you won't find many folks doing bird photography at ISO 100, especially with a 1DX2. My min ISO is 400 and I would go all the way up to 6400 when needed, with slow shutter speed the image will be soft. Here, the bird is small, soft and shows no details as posted. the composition is a bit awkward with the bird squeezed in the corner, I would put it higher in the frame and closer to the right side so it has some space to fly into. Finally, the BG is nice with he fall colors but the gull does't really have much to offer, a hovering seagull is usually not the best subject to aim your lens at, most folks here are interested in birds that are less common or at least more photogenic, there are some cases where you can make keeper photos of gulls, when they show some unusual behavior, unusual prey or something to add interest.

welcome to BPN!

[Bill Dix]

Hi Tony. Welcome to BPN!

Good critique from Arash. But I don't fully agree with what he said about gulls as subjects. Because they tend to be larger, slower, more prevalent and more predictable than many avian species, they make very good subjects on which to practice one's BIF technique. Looking forward to seeing more of your work as you hone your skills. BPN is just the place to do that.

[arash_hazeghi]

Bill, gulls aren't really the best subject to practice BIF with a 1DX2 as it offers no challenge for the camera or user I would start with something more dynamic like a tern.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Gulls are way under-rated...I LOVE them! Your image has tons of potential. The background simply rocks, and in this case I am OK with the placement of the gull. The blue cast on it is a bit much though, and reducing it would help the image. I agree with Arash about the techs. Keep that ISO, and subsequent SS, higher. Good job adding canvas.

Looking forward to more, and don't be afraid to critique others' works too, all part of BPN's fun!

[Tony Ardillo]

Welcome to the forum. You have chosen the right place if your goal is to improve your photography

First the tech's: the camera settings were off, your shutter speed was low and your ISO way too low. you won't find many folks doing bird photography at ISO 100, especially with a 1DX2. My min ISO is 400 and I would go all the way up to 6400 when needed, with slow shutter speed the image will be soft. Here, the bird is small, soft and shows no details as posted. the composition is a bit awkward with the bird squeezed in the corner, I would put it higher in the frame and closer to the right side so it has some space to fly into. Finally, the BG is nice with he fall colors but the gull does't really have much to offer, a hovering seagull is usually not the best subject to aim your lens at, most folks here are interested in birds that are less common or at least more photogenic, there are some cases where you can make keeper photos of gulls, when they show some unusual behavior, unusual prey or something to add interest.

welcome to BPN!

Arash,Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate it so much.

In the case of the Gull, I posted it because of the the December "Theme", "Gulls". This was, IMO, an out of the ordinary shot of a gull, which usually is a close up BIF, which I have plenty of.

I understand what you are saying about SS/ISO, and will take note. I was debating on where to place the bird in the crop, so I chose the spot to get the trees in the BG framed how I liked them. But you are right, the best placement would be slightly up and more to the right.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

[Tony Ardillo]

Hi Tony. Welcome to BPN!

Good critique from Arash. But I don't fully agree with what he said about gulls as subjects. Because they tend to be larger, slower, more prevalent and more predictable than many avian species, they make very good subjects on which to practice one's BIF technique. Looking forward to seeing more of your work as you hone your skills. BPN is just the place to do that.

Thanks for the confidence Bill, I appreciate it!

[Tony Ardillo]

Gulls are way under-rated...I LOVE them! Your image has tons of potential. The background simply rocks, and in this case I am OK with the placement of the gull. The blue cast on it is a bit much though, and reducing it would help the image. I agree with Arash about the techs. Keep that ISO, and subsequent SS, higher. Good job adding canvas.

Looking forward to more, and don't be afraid to critique others' works too, all part of BPN's fun!

Ah, yes, the blue cast! I should have corrected that. Good spot! I appreciate you taking the time to look, and thanks for your kind comments.