Seagull

[Max_Schröder]

Hi everyone
I took this photo in spring, on the coast of the baltic sea not too far from Lübeck, Germany.
I was out "hunting" wind-/kite-surfers that day, but those soon went too far off-shore for my lens.
There were still winds of around 6 beaufort (Beaufort scale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), strong enough to lean against the wind and not fall over.
The seagull was flying very low, and due to the wind she was almost standing still.
For a shot set up by instinct and guessing, the result is pretty good.
Sure, I could crop the picture even more, removing some of the sea, but that'd make it too small for the intended use (print as poster).
What do you think about it?

Max

 

[Designer]

What I like about it: The gull is positioned nicely in the frame, and the pose is very good. The gull looking down adds interest.

What I wish were better: The wave break is nearly parallel with the frame, therefore is rather static. I realize you have no control over how the waves break, but I'm simply offering my best critique.

 

[Max_Schröder]

Thanks Designer

I know that the direction of the lines is not ideal.
But I literally just heard the seagull, turned around while turning on the camera and adjusting exposure, and took the picture.
The seagull was out of there a moment later, so no second chance (on that day).
Again, thanks for the fast feedback.

Max

 

[WesternGuy]

It would be better if the bird was off centre to the left on the "left thirds" position. This positioning gives the bird apparent room to "fly" into the picture. Placing subjects in the centre is not usually the best place for them. If you are unfamiliar with the "Rule of Thirds', you might want to check this one out - Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition: Rule of Thirds . There are also many others on the web that you can find by searching for "Rule of Thirds".

I agree with Designer that the bird looking down adds interest - like it is hunting or watching for something.

WesternGuy