Can I have some....

[Troy Lim]

From Ft. Desoto, taken on Easter weekend. Hope you like it!

Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture f/10.0
Focal Length 850 mm
ISO Speed 500
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Troy, lovely capture all around! Sharpness, color, soft light, poses - all working really well. Excellent exposure and handling of the whites. The foliage at the top is a little strong, you could maybe blur it a bit more or darken the lightest parts? I love the pose of the young one begging and the parental look of strained tolerance.

BTW, congratulations on your recent NatGeo shot and contest win! Way to go!

[Troy Lim]

Hi Troy, lovely capture all around! Sharpness, color, soft light, poses - all working really well. Excellent exposure and handling of the whites. The foliage at the top is a little strong, you could maybe blur it a bit more or darken the lightest parts? I love the pose of the young one begging and the parental look of strained tolerance.

BTW, congratulations on your recent NatGeo shot and contest win! Way to go!

Kerry, thank you. Hope to create more images at that level.
I wish I could have a better BG. Perhaps I should have shot at a higher angle.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Troy, very nice image with excellent composition, exposure,and lighting. Looks like the same place as your previous white ibis and crab, and I like the simplicity of the environment. Interesting point you made about the viewing angle, and how you can lose the advantages of the lower viewing angle if you need to include a distracting background. In this case the lower viewing angle compensates well for the background that is blurred enough not to be too much of a distraction. I'd leave it as is.
This is a male and female adult laughing gull, and this is most likely mating behavior. The female is the smaller of the two. Immature laughing gulls, up to at least the second year(maybe 3rd?), do not have black hoods any time of year. Even the adults do not other than in breeding season.
regards~Bill

[Kerry Perkins]

Thanks Bill, I guess it's not food she's begging for! :eek:

[Troy Lim]

Troy, very nice image with excellent composition, exposure,and lighting. Looks like the same place as your previous white ibis and crab, and I like the simplicity of the environment. Interesting point you made about the viewing angle, and how you can lose the advantages of the lower viewing angle if you need to include a distracting background. In this case the lower viewing angle compensates well for the background that is blurred enough not to be too much of a distraction. I'd leave it as is.
This is a male and female adult laughing gull, and this is most likely mating behavior. The female is the smaller of the two. Immature laughing gulls, up to at least the second year(maybe 3rd?), do not have black hoods any time of year. Even the adults do not other than in breeding season.
regards~Bill

Bill, thank you for explaining that to me.
Actually, I much prefer lower angle with this BG than getting higher up and just get the sand.

[Kerry Perkins]

Troy, I agree about the angle. The bg is not that distracting.

[John Goldman]

Excellent image, Troy! I am a big fan of low angle shots such as this. Yes, the BG could have been better yet it's not a distraction for me with all the rest of this very strong image capturing me.

[Troy Lim]

Excellent image, Troy! I am a big fan of low angle shots such as this. Yes, the BG could have been better yet it's not a distraction for me with all the rest of this very strong image capturing me.

Thank you John.