Herring Gull Portrait

[Isaac Grant]

A variation on the monthly theme. Here is a nice dual portrait of these Herring Gulls Captured them while they were engaged in a bit of a fight over the favor spot on the beach. From last summer on the beaches of Staten Island, NY. Since most of the shot is birds I really had to lower the quality percentage to fit the size requirement. Hopefully the details come through as they do on the original.

Canon 1dx and Canon 500 f4 ii + 1.4x iii. F6.3, ISO 400, SS 1/2500

[Bob Smith]

A dramatic image Isaac--it's shots like this that give us a glimpse of the nitty-gritties of bird life that often doesn't register in just watching the action. I really like the detail you've caught in the irises of the eyes.

[Noel Heustis]

Isaac - I love the action captured, and the insane detail in the eyes of both gulls. I think the composition works great.

[Bill Dix]

Wonderful action, and I like the comp. Unfortunately the quality has suffered from converting and downsizing, such that the detail in the grey areas of the mantle and wings is very crunchy. I'm sure it looks spectacular in the original.

[Isaac Grant]

Hey Bill. I posted and ran, haven't checked how it looked on screen. Keenin mind that these are both very worn, ratty and molting birds and the feathers will not look how they normally do. Are you seeing that or crunchy as in over sharpened? I'm asking cause it is sharpened the same as the rest of my shots. I'll have to check later.

[Bill Dix]

I do see some worn plumage, to be sure; but I'm also seeing what appears to be oversharpening, at least on my screen. Take a look when you get a chance.

[Isaac Grant]

Thanks Bill. I'll check later. It's so beautiful I took my boys to the park. File was sharpened at .5 and 100 like all others but I'll have a look. Maybe the quality doesn't hold at that percentage?

[Isaac Grant]

Ok so I just checked and I agree Bill 100% that it looked very bad as posted. Thank you. Figures the one time I don't check the file prior to posting! Turns out the file that was posted was sharpened twice by mistake and that is why it looked so bad!!! I went back to the TIFF and resharpened the file. Head and whites at .5 and 100. Gray areas at .3 and 60. Something about that worn plumage is just not translating well. If I went any higher on that area it just looked bad. Strange. Anyway it is a fun shot regardless of that.

[Arthur Morris]

The repost is surely better. I used to see stuff like this all the time when they bred on the mainland at Captree State Park. Two good head angles.

with love, arite

[Isaac Grant]

They used to breed at Captree? Where? Was it near that lower lot that faces the bay?

[Jonathan Ashton]

Repost is better Isaac but it still doesn't seem quite right to me, the image has a very "heavy" look to it.

[Arthur Morris]

Repost is better Isaac but it still doesn't seem quite right to me, the image has a very "heavy" look to it.

Agree. There is too much gray in some areas of the white plumage.

[Arthur Morris]

They used to breed at Captree? Where? Was it near that lower lot that faces the bay?

Yes, in that auxiliary lot. About 50-75 pairs of Herrings and a few pairs of Great Black-backed Gulls. I had some neat behavioral images published in then Living Bird Quarterly.

with love, artie

[Daniel Cadieux]

I'm glad you reposted as this has spectacular action and perfect poses. I love the marble eyes, especially of the top individual.