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Thread: Humpback Whale Spy Hop - Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland

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    Default Humpback Whale Spy Hop - Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland

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    I created this image in July while on a 1 week vacation to Newfoundland on Canada's East Coast. We were in a 20 foot Zodiac boat whenthis 35-40 foot humpback decide to check us out. I had been zooming in and out while 5-6 humpbacks fed around the Zodiac.

    Canon EOS 40D, Sigma 50-500 mm at 50 mm Handheld
    1/2500 seconds, f6.3, ISO 640

    A small amount of the Zodiac's bow was cloned out of the lower right hand corner of this full frame image.

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    What a moment, and wasn't he/she close! I like the positioning of the whale and the water ripples. The misty background adds to the image. Great barnacles and I wonder if the detail on the skin could be brought out a little more. Great experience.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Stephen - it's certainly a great experience to be in a skiff or zodiac and have the whales around you. I like the mood created by this image but feel like it needs a little more contrast. Also I'm not sure if there's a slight blue cast to it. In my experience humbacks are more grey and the skin looks a little blue but I'm on an uncalibrated monitor right now.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Robert Amoruso
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    Very cool stuff. I would love to see this.

    The fog created the high cyan color cast. In the repost I reduce cyan saturation.

    However, reason for repost is to show a local contrast enhancement using USM on BG copy at 20/50/0. More here on that: http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=20434. I sharpened it some too.

    Though this may not have been possible, but getting higher would have gotten the nose tip more away from the horizon of fog and water.
    Last edited by Robert Amoruso; 08-26-2010 at 07:57 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Kes View Post
    Magical moment Stephen. It must be such a thrill to wittness this. Eyes are something difficult on these mastodons, but would have been nice.
    Hope to see more
    Thank you Peter. Unfortunately the whale chose to stop only this out of the water so no eye.

    Quote Originally Posted by Hilary Hann View Post
    What a moment, and wasn't he/she close! I like the positioning of the whale and the water ripples. The misty background adds to the image. Great barnacles and I wonder if the detail on the skin could be brought out a little more. Great experience.
    Thank you Hilary. I'll take another look at the original to see waht I can do.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Hi Stephen - it's certainly a great experience to be in a skiff or zodiac and have the whales around you. I like the mood created by this image but feel like it needs a little more contrast. Also I'm not sure if there's a slight blue cast to it. In my experience humbacks are more grey and the skin looks a little blue but I'm on an uncalibrated monitor right now.

    TFS,
    Rachel
    Thank you Rachel. You're probably correct about the blue caste and contrast. This was my first time with Humpbacks and to be honest the fog was so thick that I had to really work on making this whale stand out.

    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Amoruso View Post
    Very cool stuff. I would love to see this.

    The fog created the high cyan color cast. In the repost I reduce cyan saturation.

    However, reason for repost is to show a local contrast enhancement using USM on BG copy at 20/50/0. More here on that: http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=20434. I sharpened it some too.

    Though this may not have been possible, but getting higher would have gotten the nose tip more away from the horizon of fog and water.
    Thank you Robert and I like the repost. I'll check the link as well. A far as getting higher is wasn't possible unfrotunately. I was in the middle bench of 3 rows of people and already standing up and shooting over the heads of the people in front of me.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Ah, I did not see Robert's repost. It will be interesting to compare them :) The color work here was done with a 66% Robert O'Toole average blur color balancing job.
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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Ah, different methods but a similar result. And yes to higher; you should have brought your ladder!
    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.

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    Nico Steenberg
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    Great moment and sighting. Like the comp and exposure spot on.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur Morris View Post
    Ah, different methods but a similar result. And yes to higher; you should have brought your ladder!
    Thank you Artie. My apologies for the extremely late response but I've been away from BPN for quite some time due toother life demands.

    Quote Originally Posted by Nico Steenberg View Post
    Great moment and sighting. Like the comp and exposure spot on.
    Than you Nico.

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    No problema. I hope that things are going well. Have a great 2011.
    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.

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