Puffin with Sandeels + Colour Version

I spent alot of time this summer photographing Seabirds and most of that time was photographing Puffins. I love Puffins they are my favorite bird and even though I have done them so many times there is always a new twist to be had.

Canon 1D MK11, 300mm, F4, 1/1300, ISO 200

Danny

Absolutely love it. Works really well in B&W. The detail is phenomenal.

Lovely detail and light but think I'd like to see the colour version....

Nice one Danny

loads of detail and works well in B n W

Stunning! I will remember this shot when I get to the B&W module. Thanks for the images fantastic examples!

Cheers

Tony

First class Danny.
Eric

Great shot for B&W!
Wonderful detail!

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel

Danny

Ditto as above.

Nicely processed, great textures and tones.

Tim

Guess you are going to be getting rid of your colour monitor

Great image and works very well in mono.

Wonderful image Danny, don't see many puffin shots in B&W but this one works superbly - the eye contact with both the puffin and the lower sandeel takes it up another notch for me.

That's really very nice Danny, I'm a little puzzled about the OOF grey area bottom right.. but other than that I think it works really well and shows lots of detail and tones.

Brett

I always love images of puffins, and this is no exception. Mono works well here.

I'll be over in Bradgate in the next couple of weeks so I'll give you a ring regarding that beer!

Rob

Sorry to be the nay-sayer Danny, but this one doesn't work for me at all.

Despite being a B&W bird, the main thing most of us know & love Puffins for are the very colourful beaks and dropping the image to B&W removes that. The lighting also looks very flat and strong/harsh - to the point of looking like it's a flashed photo, and the subject is flat on to the camera so there's no modeling lighting on the bird.

I think you can manage better than this - a different angle, a different time of day with more shadow and less strong lighting, and a different B&W conversion to give more tone to the image.

I am not normally a lover of B&W wildlife images, but this is superb Danny,phenominal detail.

Fran

Hello Everyone

Thanks for your comments and some have asked about the colour version so here it is.

Nick it is very interesting that you pointed out the light on the actual bird as you said the light looks harsh and flat whereas the opposite is true as you will see from the colour version that it is in-fact taken in the last light of the day and I just gave a burst of fill flash on him. I like both versions but I am myself in the B&W camp.

Danny

I like both Danny.
Feel that the fill flash has flattened the light somewhat and has made for the sandeels (with prominant highlights) to become more of the subject than the puffin.
Head and shoulder shots have never been my thing, think it goes back to hating my old school photos

J

Both are great but if I had to choose then the colour version for me, Great image, well done

Like Fran, I'm generally not a lover of B&W images Danny, but after seeing the colour version, the B&W image makes much more sense, the subtle silver sheens across the face and beak work very well.

Andy...

Hello Danny.

There both cracking images and I like the Black and White most. I think its hard to make black and white image work in nature but when you find the ones that do they really stand out as does this one.

Hello shorty,

To be honest - I can't make up my mind. I like both very much.
Great job.

Edwin Kats

A great mono should convey form and texture so in that respect the image works .Commercially the mono aint going to find many takers but as a photographers image it works really well IMO . Its certainly a step away from reality but do we already know what colour a puffin should be and that is what we expect .
saying that i prefer the colour one.

Hi Danny

Keep having a look and I can see why you've gone B&W the colour version just does'nt do it for me,well saved!!!!! Great head shot!!!

Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk