Digging Black-browed

[John Chardine]

This Black-browed Albatross was digging mud for its nest on New Island, Falklands.

I cropped for a tight portrait and to highlight the amazing eye on these birds. Comments welcome!

Canon EOS 50D, 400/5.6
capture date: 6 November 2009
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 400
shutter speed: 1/800
aperture: f6.3
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
light source: Auto
flash: OFF

[Joe Brown]

John I agree that this bird has a very interesting eye, almost human, Very good exposure and focus.
The tight composition does present some problems for me. I feel it would have been better if the beak did not disappear behind the rock at the bottom. As well, the extreme tight composition leaves me yearning to see more of what appears to be a very beautiful, unique bird.

Joe

[Arthur Morris]

I would like to see more of the virtual digging :) so I would have pointed the camera down losing the top 1/5 or 1/6 of the frame and adding the same amount to the bottom. Perfect job on SH and EXP and I love the yellows and the pink.

Another way of looking at my first comment would be to say that the image is too white heavy at the top (if you know what I mean...).

I keep scrolling to crop and even a healthy crop from the top without adding anything to the bottom improves it a great deal for me.

[Arthur Morris]

Like this. :)

ps: Love the eye.

pps: after viewing my repost I went back and took more off the top.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Cool behavior captured, and the eye puts it over the top for me. I like the idea of a horizontal crop.

[John Chardine]

Many thanks Artie and others. As always, something quite unexpected (for me that is) is produced by this wonderful critique system we have at BPN. I have learned something new, and that's what it's all about.