Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Tufted Puffin in flight

  1. #1
    Robert O'Toole
    Guest

    Default Tufted Puffin in flight

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    This image of a Tufted Puffin in breeding plumage with nesting material was made during a workshop I was leading last week in Alaska.
    Even though we are in Katmai to Photograph Coastal Brown Bear I love to photograph puffins and each trip I schedule time to photograph these guys. For this trip we were blessed with great cloudy overcast weather the entire time.

    These are my favorite of the 2 species found in the north Pacific even thought they seem harder to track in flight maybe due to the lower contrast of the all black body. These guys are only found in the northern Pacific and are not found in the atlantic. The cool looking yellow tufts will moult off later when the breeding season is over.


    NIKON D300, AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4G ED VR, Handheld.
    1/1600 @ F4, Manual Mode, ISO: 400
    Focal length: 750mm equivalent

    Robert

    Image copyright 2008; Robert OToole Photography .com

  2. #2
    Judy Lynn Malloch
    Guest

    Default

    Wow what a stunning bird Robert. Wonderful flight pose and excellent color and detail. Would love to see one of these one day. Welcome back !!!!

  3. #3
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Corning, NY
    Posts
    2,507
    Threads
    208
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice and sharp with good wing position. The expression coupled with the nesting material in the mouth make it look like it is on a mission of importance.

  4. #4
    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Bemidji, Minnesota
    Posts
    5,801
    Threads
    818
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Love the pose, Robert. The vegetation in the beak is a big plus. Maybe it's just my monitor, but the whites on the face look a bit hot. Well done.

  5. #5
    Robert O'Toole
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Judy Lynn Malloch View Post
    Wow what a stunning bird Robert. Wonderful flight pose and excellent color and detail. Would love to see one of these one day. Welcome back !!!!
    Thanks Judy Lynn!

    You need to come with me next year!

    Bears, Eagles and puffins all day and the light can be good from 5 am til 11 PM :D

    Robert

  6. #6
    Robert O'Toole
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Maxson View Post
    Love the pose, Robert. The vegetation in the beak is a big plus. Maybe it's just my monitor, but the whites on the face look a bit hot. Well done.
    I think its a matter of contrast. As part of my workflow for puffins and eagles I mask the head and/or face and use Multiple blend mode to add more detail and of course I make sure not to blow the whites to begin with :)

    The whites here are 225-235 measured in CS3 with the sample tool and info palette.

    Robert

  7. #7
    Brian Wong
    Guest

    Default

    Welcome back Robert!

    Wow, I'm going to have to make time to see these guys next year! They look like fast flyers??? Of course the head, eye, wing and body position is excellent. Sticks are bonus points!

  8. #8
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Parsonsfield, Maine
    Posts
    2,183
    Threads
    199
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    In flight with a stick. What more can you ask for. Down beat on the wings, clean sky is a bonus.

  9. #9
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nicely done Robert!

  10. #10
    Ákos Lumnitzer
    Guest

    Default

    This is really cool Robert. The pose is great and it looks rather quick.
    I would not dare dispute your perspective on the whites. You know far better, I am a CS3 virgin, actually a post processing virgin. ;D

    Love the material in the bills. My question is that are the golden tufts leading out from behind the eye something like a crest?

    Thanks. :)

  11. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Haverhill, Massachusetts
    Posts
    1,647
    Threads
    313
    Thank You Posts

    Default Hello Robert

    The whites lok fine on my monitor...they are bright cause they are bright :)

    The crop bugs me though as I would have opted to place the bird higher in the frame.

    Nobody elese has mentioned it, but it's what my eyes tell me.

    Some day I'll get to Alaska....

  12. #12
    Axel Hildebrandt
    Guest

    Default

    I'd love to see this species sometime, quite different than the Atlantic variety. Great wing position and nesting material. I might put the bird a bit higher in the frame and crop a bit tighter. The whites look good here, I think the sky leads to the appearance. Thanks for sharing!

  13. #13
    Lifetime Member Jim Neiger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Kissimmee, Florida, USA
    Posts
    1,610
    Threads
    287
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great image, Robert! These little guys are fast. The nesting material really puts it over the top.
    Jim Neiger - Kissimmee, Florida

    Get the Book: Flight Plan - How to Photograph Birds in Flight
    Please visit my website: www.flightschoolphotography.com 3 spots remaining for Alaska bald eagles workshop.

  14. #14
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I like everything about this one especially the wing postion. Way to go.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  15. #15
    Gayle Clement
    Guest

    Default

    I really love this one. I can't believe you were able to manage such a sharp image handheld.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics