Puffin Landing with Sand Eels - Reworked

[Jamie Douglas]

Hi, I have devoted time over the last few months (inbetween becoming a dad) to work on improving my processing skills. I spent Sunday morning reworking this image with help from a very talented friend.

Here is a link to the original edit I did last year. This is going to be the first of many images I spend time reworking between changing diapers.
http://jamiedouglasphotography.com/p...196e#h1071196e

Techs Canon 7D, 400mm F5.6 @ F5.6, 1/1250, + 1 2/3, ISO 800, Zone AF

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice incoming pose, the fish add more interest.

[christopher galeski]

nice flying pose,like the blurred wings,adds to the image,well done.

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent landing pose. Like the fish in beak.

[Ofer Levy]

I like this. The fish make the shot for me.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very nice bird and what a funny feet! like the vegetation and how the bird focus in on its prey.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jamie, Ive just had a look at your previous post, and you have certainly improved judging on the outcome of this image - well done. Great flight posture and I like the dangling webbed feet. The beak full of fish adds interest, and if anything, I would take a bit off the top.

[Steve Kaluski]

Cool image, liked it when i first saw it Classic pose, sand eels are the icing on the cake. Well timed, nicely framed and having the slice of vegetation in adds a nice bit of additional vibrance to the overall image. Get it of to the RSPB...

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

Very nice Jamie I agree an improvement on the original, I suspect you may be able to move the blacks just a tad further to the right, then it will really pop. Maybe just maybe you have over-brightened the eye just a tad??

[Jamie Douglas]

Cheers for the feedback guys.

Stuart, the image has come along way so thanks for commenting and checking out the original which I will soon have to remove from my website. Thanks. I like to keep my images to a 3:2 or 2:3 crop and ideally I would have had a tad more space on the bottom to play with but these guys move fast and this was my first real attempt at photographing BIF.

Jonathan, thanks and I did play around with the blacks a fair bit but settled for this and likewise for the eye. I just went into PS and adjusted the blacks but can't make up my mind. Do you have any suggestions on how much black to add?

Steve, thanks again and maybe next year we can take a trip to the Farnes.

Arash, I know you are very detail orientated so I gather this passed the Arash IQ test. Thanks and that was meant as a compliment.

Cheers guys and now it's time to revisit a few other images.

The 400mm F5.6 was the perfect lens for these little speedy buggers.

Jamie

[Jonathan Ashton]

Jamie try Selective Color> Black>black 3; Neutral>black 2. Also suggest desaturate the yellow element in the feet say -12 (if you check levels and click Alt whilst selecting the black slider you will see the yellow is too high.)