some seagull shots

Osmer_Toby · Mar 13, 2004

no real merit to either of these, just scratching a creative itch.
any thoughts on why or (more probably) why not the photo works?

a little background- was mobbed by a bunch of seagulls today while eating french fries in the parking lot next to McDonald's...
this guy buzzed the windshield he got so eager to beat his pals- he was circling and watching for my hand to reach for another to throw out the passenger side window.

just playing around with a new burning & dodging technique in ps. feel free to slice and dice.

photogoddess · Mar 13, 2004

WOW

#1, you can almost feel the wind from the wings on that one.
#2 Nice job with what was a difficult exposure

karissa · Mar 13, 2004

I love both of them! That first one really catches the movement so well....

The second one is composed well with the sun glare in the corner and the gulls in the other. Nice job particularly for "just scratching the creative itch"

voodoocat · Mar 13, 2004

Incredible shots! When I read the thread I was thinking that you were taking some photos with a Seagul TLR

vonnagy · Mar 13, 2004

1. love it, just love it!.. see if you can get rid of a bit of the background stuff, apply a 'multiply' image mask over it, that just might to the trick. i dig it though!
2. loving lighting on the wings! Ugh sunspots though... some people like em, some don't - i am in the latter group. Other than that, this is choice shot bro (spoken in my best kiwi twang)

thanks for sharing those, those ain't too shabby mate

Harpper · Mar 13, 2004

The first shot is incredible! The only suggesting I can even think of might be to have a little less motion blur around the head around but that's just being picky. Good work!

The second picture looks a little fake to me. Maybe there was a little too much burning & dodging? It could just be me though...

LaFoto · Mar 14, 2004

So there I was coming to this thread, having read its title, then your story (still hadn't scrolled down to your photos), and was forming an idea of what your photo could have been like in my head.

Then I see it.
WOW!
The first is a real and true "WOW!"-picture. I hadn't expected THIS! Stunning! I do like it a lot, a LOT!

Mark's saying something about the background in #1, and "get rid of some" of it, erm: what background? To me, #1 is just seagull and nothing but seagull... do I see wrong here (my monitor DOES suck, I know, I can't see any of ... well, whose shadow is it again, that's been posted here recently? ... that shadow, either).

The second is very interesting, though the two seagulls in the right half of the photo are too dark for my liking, despite the very interesting backlight on their wings and feathers (tails, mostly, I've just scrolled back there for yet another look). If only I had worked my way a little deeper into PhotoShop, I'm still stumbling about that place....

Osmer_Toby · Mar 14, 2004

Ugh sunspots though

ya, i've often gotten them by accident and wanted to diminish their strength. got any good techniques for this? (tho in this shot the flare is intentional... would like to diminish intensity)

thanks for the compliments and critique- as always, you have given me heart and direction.

markc · Mar 14, 2004

Wow. I like these. I can be a sucker for motion shots, so the first one holds my attention. I agree that the background is a bit distracting.

I like the flair spots in the second, since they emphasize the directional cues from the birds. It's a kicker to the highlighted feathers.

Good stuff!

ksmattfish · Mar 14, 2004

Both very exciting images. I think that #1 could be better. I'm not sure how, but you need to try this again. My feelings have more to do with the subject than anything you as the photographer are doing. Just go back and take a bunch.

#2: fantastic back lighting and wonderfully composed. I think this one is a keeper.

ksmattfish · Mar 14, 2004

If you get a chance to shoot some more like #1, try forcing the flash for some of the shots. That might grab some more detail. Might be good, might be bad.