Portrait Of A Pacific Gull

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Portrait Of A Pacific Gull

Postby NikonUser on Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:10 pm

Last one from this morning.

I'm not sure if this works as a portrait. It's a heavy crop (5mp)... The original composition didn't really work as I was too high above the bird.

Any comments on weather it works as a portrait?

Image

Thanks

Paul
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Postby BBJ on Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:51 pm

Nice Birdy Paul, and thanks as i didn't know what bird this was, new it was some sort of Gull but now i know the name as i got a pic of 1 the other week. Not a very good pic but was a quick 1.
Image

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John
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Postby NikonUser on Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:19 pm

Not a very good pic? Could have fooled me!

These are the young version of the big black and white gulls with the orange beaks. I dunno how something so big can fly so easily!

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Postby greencardigan on Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:35 pm

Looks OK as a portrait to me. I might have been inclined to crop a little more off the top.

How do you differentiate between an immature Paciffic Gull and an immature Kelp Gull. I think we usually get Kelp gulls here.
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Postby NikonUser on Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:40 pm

greencardigan wrote:Looks OK as a portrait to me. I might have been inclined to crop a little more off the top.

How do you differentiate between an immature Paciffic Gull and an immature Kelp Gull. I think we usually get Kelp gulls here.


According to my bird book the Juv. Kelp Gull has a black beak and the feathers on it's head are darker than that of the Pacific Gull.
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Postby BBJ on Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:49 pm

Paul, to be honest i thought these were something like a young Albatross,LOL see i dont know these birds at all and admir those birders we have shooting them as i find it hard. I dont think that shot is as good as it could have been i took it just as it was about to rain and is a crop.
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Postby MattC on Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:36 pm

Paul,

I would be inclined to crop at 4:5...

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Postby NikonUser on Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:50 pm

Like this?

Image

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Postby greencardigan on Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:53 pm

yeah, that crop works better.
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Postby MattC on Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:24 pm

Yep, that does it.

Cheers

Edit: I cropped your first image in PS a bit closer than that, but yours is good.
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Postby Finch on Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:13 pm

G'day Paul,

I've been checking your bird pics with great interest and you have some beauties in your portfolio so far. This pic is quite okay but maybe not up there with your best. Face of bird (especially beak) is soft. The eye also looks odd and I can't work out if it had redeye that was reduced in PP or that's how it has naturally turned out.

Not an easy bird to capture on camera so a good attempt nonetheless.

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Postby NikonUser on Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:36 pm

Thanks for all your comments.

I thought the eye looked weird too... there hasn't been any PP done on it - that's just the way it turned out.

I too wish the beak was in focus. Sometimes I just get too wound up in the moment and don't check camera settings. Doh.

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