Common Seal

[William Dickson]

Canon 1DX
f/4 500mm with 1.4
f/8
1/2000
ISO 1250

I went back to the seals, and this time used a faster SS as Steve recommended. This one I processed with PS2018. Reduced the highlights, slightly raised the shadows, adjusted the blacks/whites, added a little clarity. When opened, I raised the curves slightly, applied a little USM to the rock, and more USM to the seal and lowered the contrast of the whole image.

Will

[Jonathan Ashton]

Not too sure about the logic of your processing Will it sounds a little contradictory to me. Having said that it looks pretty good. I would suggest removing a bit off the base, the rock looks quite "massive".

[Glenn Pure]

Will, nice to see more of your wonderful seals. They are really attractive looking animals with those spots. Tone, colour and detail look good to me on this one but I also wonder if less of the rock would help the composition as it does dominate and is also quite similar in tone to the seal. Thanks for sharing.

[William Dickson]

Thanks guys. I thought the rock looked pretty cool, showing the seal in its natural surroundings. But I can see where you are coming from re the crop.

Will

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Will - It looks like the light was a bit brighter but you handled it well. I like the blue tones of the water and sky. The seal looks good with respect to sharpness, tones, and it has better detail. I too would take a bit off the bottom. Yes, the rock is nice, but it dominates the image as posted.

TFS,
Rachel

[Stuart Philpott]

Lovely image Wil, l the markings are fabulous and for me it's a frame with wonderful detail. I am deeply unsure on cropping the rock. Will I feel my sentiments are similar to yours but at the same time the seal is quite central on the vertical side and I feel I have a leaning to frame differently. A bit torn here Will but that doesn't take from your image i've really enjoyed this one..

take care

stu

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Will another nice one of the Common Seals .
Looks less spectacular than the previous one , but reflects more the tranquility of their natural behavior . Their relatives the Grey Seals are way more active , at least from my experience .
I do like the seal placed on the rock covered with all that sea pock stuff , nice overall colors and tones .
You have a better SS for sure , i still do miss the fine detail in the fur . Where was the FP ? At F 8 you should have enough DOF to get the whole seal sharp over that shooting distance.

TFS Andreas

[William Dickson]

Thanks for that Andreas. The FP was right on the nose. What do you suggest to get the most detail out of the fur.

Will

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Will, love the pose and eye contact from the Seal. The Seal pops nicely from the distant sea BG, and I like the bits of moss on the rock.