gannet flare

[John Chardine]

As mentioned in a recent post in another forum, it's gannet season, as least in the northern hemisphere! What a treat.

I spent the last 10 days working on gannets at Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland, and had a lot of fun making images in my spare time. Unusually for the area and time of year I had sunny conditions which made for difficult lighting, and the long range was such that a flash even with a beamer was ineffectual for shadow-filling. The morning I made this image was high overcast but still bright.

Not much done other than a crop, small adjustment using Curves, small Sat boost, and a couple of bright spots in the BG were evened out. Hope you like it.

Canon EOS 50D, 500 mm f4 mounted on Mongoose head
capture date: 2 June 2009, 8:24 AM
exposure program: Manual
ISO speed: 640
shutter speed: 1/2000
aperture: f5.6
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
light source: Auto
flash: OFF - Compulsory flash mode

[Ramon M. Casares]

Amazing pose, terrific light, perfect exposure, great detail, colors, BG and comp. Big congratulaitons! Wonderfull image!

[Tony Whitehead]

Good expsore control, John. I like the flared pose with the upturned primaries and alulas.

[Julie Kenward]

Those are such incredible looking birds...I would so love to get the chance to photograph them!

I love the wing position and the way the light is hitting the spread tail feathers. It's such a lovely and cohesive image, John. Congrats!

[Dave Barnes]

I like the pose and comp. Very well exposed showing good feather detail.
I still need to make the pilgrimage down to the West Cape coast to get some Ganet images.

[Kobus Tollig]

Great exposure and comp. Nice pose and good detail well done on this

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great details, BG, soft light and exposure control, I only wish for some bill/wing separation.

[Stu Bowie]

Super wingspread, and you have exposed this very well, and I think the overcast conditions have helped. Love the detail and colours on these guys.

[John Chardine]

Thanks for all the great comments. Axel's eagle eye picked up a flaw in the image which another friend picked up too but I didn't see until then.

I have a few more to post over next while. Look out!