Seaweed in Your Face!

[Arthur Morris]

This incoming Northern Gannet was photographed on Bonaventure Island in northern Quebec with the Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark III. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops of the sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/8. On-camera fill flash at zero with the Better Beamer. At close range I am often amazed by how well this combination focuses on birds flying rapidy right at you.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome. Anyone wishing to learn more about three August trips to this utterly amazing place is invited to e-mail me or to check out the next BAA Bulletin.

[Maxis Gamez]

Hi Artie,

Very sharp with a nice eye contact. I don't mind the wings clipped but I wish I could see the tail. The feet are priceless.

Take care!

[Robert O'Toole]

Awesome Artie, I love the look in the birds eyes and the feather is great. The soft blue in the BG looks super. Focus looks right on perfect.

Only wish I could see the entire tail but is looks great as is.

Robert

[Mike Milicia]

Love the head-on look and the spread feet and great use of flash !

Given the clipped parts, for my taste, I might go even a bit tighter taking a bit off the top
(about 1/4 of the distance to the top of the head) and a proportionate amount from both sides.

[Chris Zink]

I like the way the feet look like pieces of seaweed too!

Chris Zink

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Pose, seaweed, and exposure control look great but the feather puts it over the top for me.

[Lance Peters]

Awesome Artie - he means business - love those eyes and expresion.

:)

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi Artie - I love this, the colours are sublime and so are the eyes! I would vote for quite a bit more off the top - almost a pano look...
Best regards,
Nicki

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Priceless image! But what a pity about the tail.

[John Chardine]

This brings back really good memories Artie! I'm glad to see you have cropped the wings- with a long-winged bird like the gannet, it's the only way to get good detail in the face. The full tail fan would be nice but the head and feet are so engrossing that I don't notice it. The image shows how intent gannets are at this stage of the difficult fall into the colony- the eyes tell the story. This is a beautiful image.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks to all who commented. For those mourning the absence of the bird's tail in the frame, do realize that if I somehow framed wider there would be less detail in the eyes, the face, the seaweed, and the feather. Furthermore, if I attmepted to fit the tail in the frame sharp focus might have been on the belly (and the feet), or I might have lost focus altogether. I do like Nicki's suggestion. Thanks!

[Gary Sargent]

agree with previous re: the tail