Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: Katmai Puffins

  1. #1
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default Katmai Puffins

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    After a bit of good late afternoon luck in Hallo Bay, five of us bailed on the bears in hopes of photographing puffins. After a 15 minute skiff ride, an eagle flew Ninagiak Island as we landed and hundreds of puffins simply left. Confident, but remembering my first evening on Plateaufjellet in Spitzbergen, we set up our tripods and within ten minutes we had more than a few Horned Puffins land right in front of us. We did not get back to the boat for dinner until after 10:30pm.

    Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X III TC and the EOS-1D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/400 sec. at f/11 set manually. Central sensor AF (only) with rear focus and re-compose.

    Don't be shy; all comments welcome.
    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.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  2. #2
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Bedford, MA
    Posts
    1,603
    Threads
    302
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Gorgeous light, excellent detail in blacks and whites, and nice pose and composition all combine for one lovely image!
    But it's the light in particular that puts this one over the top for me!

  3. #3
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Mike. It was 9:14 pm :)
    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.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  4. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    3,911
    Threads
    459
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Exceptional job with exposure Artie. Perfect.

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    10,347
    Threads
    403
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great details and light on this one. Love it in every way.
    Marina Scarr
    Florida Master Naturalist
    Website, Facebook

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Long Island, New York
    Posts
    6,275
    Threads
    574
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Stunningly beautiful image. Background is so complimentary and the light is sweet.

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    central NY
    Posts
    2,414
    Threads
    222
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Exquisite details you get in those blacks and whites, pose is awesome, light fantastic. A stunner in every way.

  8. #8
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Smithville,Tx
    Posts
    400
    Threads
    58
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    The orange lichen covered background really makes this image. Beautiful.

  9. #9
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Pune, India
    Posts
    328
    Threads
    26
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    excellent exposure and compostion sir..i am amazed of light and that too @9.15pm? good..can you explain why you were confident that they will return? i mean are they friendly to the people or anything else?

  10. #10
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Sydney Australia
    Posts
    1,124
    Threads
    187
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I could not get my head around the time you gave for the image - then I saw were you were. Love th BG colours here and the comp.

  11. #11
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Aquebogue, NY
    Posts
    168
    Threads
    41
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great lighting, subject and background together with a perfect exposure = Stunning Shot! Beautiful Artie!

  12. #12
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Artie, good look back pose, and you have certainly nailed the overall exposure here. Lovely soft light, and I like the overall colours in this. If this were mine, I would probably have removed one of the catch lights in the eye.

  13. #13
    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    SW Michigan
    Posts
    14,112
    Threads
    820
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Artie:

    Love the soft modeling effect of the light on the breast, nice sense of depth. Roman would appreciate the crop. Excellent exposure showing the whites and blacks very well.

    Stuart: I kind of like the extra catchlight here, give more of a vertical line to the catchlight, which plays well with the tall eyebrow.

    Cheers

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

  14. #14
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by yogesh_puranik View Post
    excellent exposure and compostion sir..i am amazed of light and that too @9.15pm? good..can you explain why you were confident that they will return? i mean are they friendly to the people or anything else?
    When I referenced Plateaufjellet, I was not at all sure that the birds would return though I thought it likely that they would. Why? They breed in the rocks there. But do see Svalbard: The Wrong Night to Sleep/The Best Laid Plans.... and the next two blog posts for the whole story :) Once they returned the birds were not stupid tame as many Atlantic Puffins are but as long as we moved slowly we were fine.
    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.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  15. #15
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    626
    Threads
    55
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Cute!! He is a gorgeous puffin. The BG colors compliment him so well. Nice pose and exposure Artie

  16. #16
    Tommy Rodgers
    Guest

    Default

    I like those details in the whites! Now, I have to re-think the white on my puffins, so back to your book for another re-read about whites (must be my fourth or fifth re-read. It's not the book, I am slow learner). I also like the way you handled the rocky BG. Thanks for sharing and showing me how it should be done.

  17. #17
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A real beauty Artie! Gorgeous light. I'm hoping to make it to Alaska next summer.
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  18. #18
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    SF Bay Area
    Posts
    327
    Threads
    43
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful image, Artie. Love the colors, pose and lighting.

  19. #19
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks all. Glad that you liked. If I were critiquing this I would suggest that it is a bit tight in the frame. My biggest wish is that the rock with the lichens were much farther back than it is....
    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.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  20. #20
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    23,119
    Threads
    1,523
    Thank You Posts
    Blog Entries
    55

    Default

    Beautiful pose, sharpness, background and exposure!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics