Galapagos Albatross

Gallery: AvianPosted February 16, 2015138 views13 comments

We were happy to see and photograph the Waved (Galapagos) Albatross during our crossings between the islands. This one was in between Santa Cruz and Isabela. This species only breeds on Hood Island in the Galapagos with also a few pairs on Isla de La Plata off of the Ecuadorian mainland. This is a young bird getting ready for a life at sea. The light wasn't optimal but I liked the action. It took a while for this bird to get airborne as it ran across the surface of the water.

Canon 5D3 500F4 1/4000 F5.6, iso 500, handheld from boat

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on February 16, 2015 at 5:22 PM

Very cool bird Nate, glad we got a chance to see it and capture a few shots!

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on February 16, 2015 at 5:42 PM

`I second that "like the action", with the splayed legs and arching spray in its wake..
Great POV and details, nicely done Nate

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on February 16, 2015 at 6:14 PM

Must have been a Bird a little to the left but I can see you wanted the take offspray in !!
Cheers
JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on February 16, 2015 at 6:21 PM

Thanks for your comments. John, there isn't a bird farther left, I composed it this way to keep the splash in and still have the bird big enough in the frame to show some details.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Thomas Haney on February 16, 2015 at 6:37 PM

What a shot Nate! I love the body position of the bird and the spray of water makes it for me.

Registered on April 7, 2013, 138 Posts, 537 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on February 16, 2015 at 9:20 PM

Great action, and what a privilege to shoot this bird! Your comp with the wave and splash really makes this a dynamic image. I can almost feel the motion of the waves.

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on February 17, 2015 at 2:56 AM

Great action Nate - I reckon they need to eat more!

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on February 17, 2015 at 11:15 AM

What a great action shot Nate. The splash and wing position, legs all make this a special image IMO.

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Rose on February 18, 2015 at 3:13 PM

A beautiful image. I've never seen an Albatross in real life. They are fascinating birds.

Registered on March 13, 2011, 58 Posts, 122 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on February 18, 2015 at 9:13 PM

Love the action and the splash! Nice work Nate.

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on February 20, 2015 at 10:53 PM

That was a great trip, Nate! Glad we got to see this one.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on February 22, 2015 at 7:15 PM

Nate,
It was great shooting with you yesterday. I am glad to see the photos you and Charles are posting from your recent Galapagos trip. Do you think the composition could be improved with a little more space on the left? I certainly would not eliminate the footprint and splash on the right, though.

Registered on March 13, 2011, 326 Posts, 1679 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on February 22, 2015 at 11:36 PM

Thanks for your comments everyone. Patrick, it was great to meet you too. Regarding the comp the splash on the right balances the bird being farther left of center a bit in the frame and I personally don't think more room on the left improves the composition here when I consider all of the elements of the image together.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments