Another 'Clown'

[Steve Kaluski]

Last one I promise, well for the near future. :D

This chap just had just emerged from his burrow and judging on the expression he was just as surprised as I was. This is almost straight from camera, with NO tinkering of colour. I think this illustrates quite well why they are sometimes known as the 'Clown' bird.

Steve
MKIII 500f/4 1/500 f/6.3 ISO 400 (HH, FF)

[Randy Stout]

Steve:

Great head on view, beautifully exposed, with very nice detail in the feathers.
Green foreground very nice.
Because of the head on view, I could see this as a vertical as well.

Cheers

Randy

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Randy

I thought about that and to be honest, extending the BG would not be difficult. However, as I had been shoot in landscape and as he/she surfaced I thought to keep it in that mode and place the Puffin slightly off centre just to create interest? There is enough room for a heading and text too if required, providing there is enough room for the Puffin to breathe.

Thanks
Steve

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Beautifully exposed and excellent detail.. They are so beautiful and so perfect that they almost do not look real. Lovely image Steve.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Interesting point of view and head-on pose. I might put the bird a tad higher in the frame. The color temperature looks a bit low and the whites have a slight blue cast.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Axel, I guess with some image I tend to leave them as is, allowing for text etc as described above. Using the beak as the platform to get the colour balance right, I thought it looked OK? There is a slight blue hint on the rhs as you view any idea how to reduce it?

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Hi Axel, I guess with some image I tend to leave them as is, allowing for text etc as described above. Using the beak as the platform to get the colour balance right, I thought it looked OK? There is a slight blue hint on the rhs as you view any idea how to reduce it?

Select the area and reduce the saturation of the blue channel.

[Dan Busby]

This is a novel way to show off why this species is so interesting. One inch to the right and you would have had perfect symmetry. But beautiful anyway. The whites do look a bit blueish on my monitor.

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks Axel, just had a mental block, or was it a senior moment :D

[Danny J Brown]

I seen a million photographs of this species and you still managed to come up with a unique and beautiful composition. I love it.

DB

[Fabs Forns]

I love Puffins, in fact, I'll be Puffin bound pretty soon :)
Other than the amazing face, the OOF greening the foreground makes this image special to me. Way to go.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks Axel, just had a mental block, or was it a senior moment :D

The whites look more neutral now, which is nice, but I noticed that the bird's right side of the face is partially overexposed. Should be easy to fix.

[Troy Lim]

Steve, love the shot, the details are amazing. The OOF FG is special.
I prefer the original crop. TFS.

[Hendri Venter]

I also love Puffins but this is so special and unique. Well done Steve.