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Yet another of the slow (ish) shutter speed gulls.
I've deliberately toned this down to have a more monochrome look, it was already pretty monochrome, so just enhanced it by increasing contrast and darkening a little.
Some people in the forums were looking for an image to critique, I would guess this is as good as any to practice on 
I suspect you'll either love or hate it. Bit like Marmite! 
| Title: | Another Artistic Gull |
| Username: | 
csurry |
| Uploaded: | 1 Sep 2008 - 6:50 PM |
| Camera: | Nikon D3  Check out Nikon Nation! |
| Lens: | 300mm |
| Recording media: | RAW (digital) |
| Tags: | Flatanger, Gull, Norway, Slow shutter, Wildlife / nature |
| Votes: | 175 |
| Modifications Welcome (Upload a Modification) |
Comments
Tell you why I like it? Why does one prefer one type of cheese to another, why is one woman beautiful to one man yet another man prefers a nice cup of tea, why do some like roses and others like daffodils? Questions I'm sure we'd all like to contemplate but, frankly, can't really be arsed to.
Maybe you should have put it in the critique gallery for the team of experts to pass judgement for you?
Love it. Much better than a standard shot of a gull, much more creative and original. this seems to be the direction a lot of the top wildlife photographers like Andy Rouse are heading too which is no bad thing
Den
Love, hate, like, does it really matter so long as you tell me why you like or dislike it
It simply grabs my attention for been different, and for that I like it.
PS I did do the quote thing but it ain't worked!
Personally, I think it works well.
The darkness of the water/sky works well against the exposure of the bird.
I can't work out if the comp works or not, so for now I'lll give it the benefit of the doubt.
Cheers Cheryl,
Paul.
Thanks all.
Yep composition is difficult, do you include the splash which automatically puts the bird into the front third, or not and have dead space. Went for frame filling with the splash. To be honest on 300mm prime you really don't have that much choice!
I do LOVE the mod, but will refrain from thanking you in the forums
the composure is fine, and the black gives a good impact but think there is a little too much movement going on in the frame, the eyes going everywhere, id liked to have seen it with a slightly quicker shutter to tone down the movement. G
Quote: The composure is fine, and the black gives a good impact but think there is a little too much movement going on in the frame, the eyes going everywhere, id liked to have seen it with a slightly quicker shutter to tone down the movement. G
What it probably wants is cloning out of the bit of water movement in front of the bird. Other than that the eye needs to travel from splash to bird.
Faster shutter speed, maybe but very difficult to judge exactly what you will get as it depends on the amount of action. In previous frames not enough movement, but once they have picked up pace then too much, but it's all subjective.
Boyd's mod is wickedly excellent & I'm surprised you didn't do it yourself Cheryl
I don't like Marmite !
I like it because there is action displayed in the wing movement,clarity on the head of the Gull,water splashes which take away the otherwise starkness of the image & detail enough to appreciate...so there !
Love it Cheryl, (and Marmite)
... I don't think there's too much movement going on, the clarity of the head draws the eye straight to it, superb...
Maybe I would have lightened the eye a bit.. see mod, what d'ya reckon too false looking??
Jon
I think it's pretty well spot on. The bird stands out nicely from the black b/g. The head & body are pin-sharp & there's just about the right amount of blur in the wings & feet to give a good impression of movement. I think the composition could be improved slightly by cropping the right side just to the right of the main splash, but all in all a cracking shot.
Rog
Thanks all, yes could probably do with lightening the eye a little after my darkening adjustments. Did not really notice that. Would need to be done carefully so it does not look false as you say. Need to view on a larger screen than I am using at the moment to see it exactly.
Well got about 30 votes more than I was expecting
Spectacular! I've been disappointed with some of your recent blur/motion shots. Especially as you'd mastered the art of freezing mid flight (and birds on a stick!), but now it appears you've cracked the difficult art of slow motion. Incredible. The lightening of the eye would give it even more of an edge.
Erm, not sure i can add anything else Cheryl!!!!!!!
An absolute stunner, I really do like the way you have captured the head and breast so sharply and the rest gently blends in together without being to obvious. Think the EC, sums it up though??????
Thanks for the help in the forum earlier, hope to get it sorted today.
Regards
Stewart
Thanks all.
Thanks Pete.
I guess how far you go with the pan-blur effect is a personal thing. I've always tried to keep one part sharp, the eye, but I noticed a lot of really abstract ones about, especially in Norway from various respected foreign wildlife togs, so I was just experimenting.
I don't think the UK is ready yet for the totally abstract interpretations of flight
It is definitely a skill that I need to put some more time into practising, but it's hard to deliberately take a "blurred" shot sometimes when everyone expects sharpness and the "hit" rate for a successful image in the eyes of the majority of viewers is greatly reduced from my norm.
So I just have to bite the bullet and have a lot more wasted efforts if I want to improve, but every bird and flight is different to some extent and is affected by the environment or target of their movement.
Quote: I don't think the UK is ready yet for the totally abstract interpretations of flight
Steve Bloom seems to do well with this kind of images, though. Or maybe his customers are not from the UK, that's a possibility, of course. At least EPZ is probably not ready for this kind of thing.
Edit: I'm glad I decided that your image was so good it didn't need my personal award - it was bound to get one from Pete!
1/100th
f/8
-1.7 EV
Yes Conrad, but I think having the name Steve Bloom helps to make them saleable
Plus his are colourful parrots/macaws or something exotic, not gulls
ps. I would have treasured a Conrad award, these ECs are ten a penny! Well actually they cost a lot more than that!
Quote: I don't think the UK is ready yet for the totally abstract interpretations of flight
I'm ready and waiting, but no one's uploaded one good enough
This week's comment from Damien in AP is quite funny. He refers to something he's never seen before...blurred experimental landscapes. We've been doing them for years on ePHOTOzine.
Cracking capture, but the feet and wings are blurred! 
LOL!
Cheques in the post BTW.
Quote: He refers to something he's never seen before...blurred experimental landscapes. We've been doing them for years on ePHOTOzine.
ahh we have that
Congrats on the EC, nice to see something different.
You gave me advice on how to sharpen and keep steady and then you do this...lol
Tried it and its not bad, but a gull how boring, couldn't you find a better bird Cheryl
Keep looking at this and yep I have come to like it a lot, it does appeal also notice in Bird Mags a lot of the Finnish guys are going for these shots as well now.
Richard
Quote: Some people in the forums were looking for an image to critique, I would guess this is as good as any to practice on
Lovely shot. click
I neither hate or love it Cheryl but am interested to see a gull in flight and from a technical point of view I reckon it's brilliant.
John
Congatulations Very well deserved, I enjoy this type of pictorial shot.
Excellent POTW choice.
Penny
Quote: Congrats on POTW, I had forecast this one to a few people on Saturday, happy to see I was right too
Well you are the king of POTW so you should know
Thanks all. I go to Norway for sea eagles and the trip is "recognised" for a blurry gull I could have taken at Southend
Absolutely bloody brilliant!
Its hets my vote and award.
All the best!
Chris C
A fantastic capture Cheryl, congratulations for POTW too.
Geoff.
Excellent - I presume the mods are as much POTW as the OP's submission?!
Quote: Excellent - I presume the mods are as much POTW as the OP's submission?!
Surely you mean the POTW was actually for Boyd's mod
Thanks all. Have a few more of these in the locker - but might save them for a while. Have one that is just the bird against a dark background that works quite nicely.
Congrats on the EC and POTW... now you see what happens when you use a bit of blur and art in your images
fantastic! I watched the Country File 'Animals in Action' calendar selection on TV yesterday and this image blows everyone one of them clear out the water.
Mike
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