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Thread: Ring-billed Gull

  1. #1
    Mac Wheeler McDougal Jr.'s Avatar
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    Default Ring-billed Gull

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    I am not sure this is the right forum for this image, so please move it if it doesn't qualify. I took this image in Florida about 3 weeks ago while practicing shooting flying birds. I thought it was very good of the gull, by the way I only think it is a Ring-billed Gull, anyway the background in the original image was a bright blue sky, no clouds. I selected the bird from the original image and moved it to a background of the Atlantic Ocean. It seems to me that it improverd the overall quality of the image and I wonder what others think? I will include the shooting data for the image of the bird. Obviously, I did quite a bit of work in PS. I would appreciate your opinions as to the final product.
    Nikon D3S
    70-200mm @ 200mm
    200mm (in 35mm film)
    Subject dist: 7.9m
    1/6400 sec, f/4.5
    Mode: Manual
    Metering: Multi-segment
    ISO: 500
    White balance: Auto
    Flash: Off
    File size: 34.3MB
    Image size: 2382 x 1888
    Color space: sRGB
    Saturation: Normal
    Sharpness: Normal
    Contrast: Normal
    Color profile: sRGB

  2. #2
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    hi Wheeler, nice gull. Love the background gives it a very nice 3D effect! Might want to crop off the ocean on the bottom, it is not strong enough to add to the image. Beautiful shot.

    Gary.

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    Hi Mac- I really like the look of this. Love the lighting on the gull and it balances beautifully with the new BG. I agree with Gary, I don't think you need the ocean.

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    Wheeler,

    Agree with cropping a bit out of bottom. Excellent image with great pose.

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    I agree with the cropping comments, otherwise, beautiful image.

  6. #6
    Ron Caswell
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    Great shot!, Love the look to this, Gary is right the ocean is just a sliver needs to go. Ron

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    BPN Viewer Dave Leroy's Avatar
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    Lovely feel to the the photo, a sort of frozen in time.

    New background? If so I would not have known so thanks for including that info. Perhaps that is why frozen in time feel comes from. It has a very nice artsy feel.

    I do wonder about the blues/cyans on the wings and if mine I would be tempted to try and remove or reduce them a bit.

    Well done and good for you.

    And I don't mind the ocean strip and could go either way.

    Dave

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    BPN Member jack williamson's Avatar
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    This looks "photoshopped" but excellently done. I like it alot and don't mind the strip of ocean at all.

    Jack

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    Jack- I agree the image has a certain "look" but I think you could accomplish the same result with nice warm light and judicious use of fill flash. I really think Mac has pulled this one off because there is a "real" solution to the image.

  10. #10
    Steven Kersting
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    I quite like the image. What makes it look faked is the illumination levels for the bird and background are not equal, and the lighting angle is a bit different (but this is less noticeable). But this difference is also what makes the bird stand out.

    I would crop a bit more and put the head closer to the upper rt 1/3 intersection getting rid of the ocean, the blank area of blue sky at the top and some from the lt side (but leaving more on the lt than the rt) I would get rid of the cyans in the bird and bit of bg along wings edge that got transferred from the original as well.

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    Steven- There is an in-camera solution to this image. I'm saying it's easy, but it is possible. Take a closer look and figure it out for yourself.

  12. #12
    Steven Kersting
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Chardine View Post
    Steven- There is an in-camera solution to this image. I'm saying it's easy, but it is possible. Take a closer look and figure it out for yourself.
    Ok, I'm at a loss.....
    I can see how one could duplicate the "contrast" in lighting by using a flash as the main light (dropping the background down (as opposed to "fill"); probably off camera). But I don't see how you would add a background that wasn't there. (I know there are ways to do it in camera but I'd always choose post)

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