the world is upside down.

I spent a weekend at Donna Nook early in November and only just got round to processing some images. Spent quite a bit of time with this pup and mum. Its really cool how the seals move about on land. Forward and backwards is kind of a belly flop and to go sideways they roll. In this case the little guy started rolling then stopped and looked at me mid roll. (probably because i was using the same belly flop/ roll technique to approach).

C&C welcome.

Nikon D300 + 300mm + 1.7x tc
F4.8 1/640sec iso200

Would like to have seen more of 'him' in the shot Ben, with a little more room all round. With those eyes it still retains that 'cute' factor.

I can see where Stephen is coming from, but I like it, to me those gorgeous eyes, as always draw me into the image and that is where it stops for me, and the rest of the body just follows. Hope that made sense? Very nice indeed.

Fran

Hello Ben.

I like this but I feel if your going to do a closeup then I would crop this even tighter. I would place the right flipper right in the top right corner and use it as a lead in, and this would then give us a nice diagonal line right to the eyes. Witch to me is the whole point of this image.

Lovely capture.

Love it just as it is. Simply gorgeous.

The eye contact makes the image for me, a lovely image with that 'cute' factor

I would have been pleased with this Ben. I do think however that I would have tried to include the whole of the animal with perhaps a bit more room around it. Regardless of the it still has that apeal factor about it.

Major.

if I was to be very critical I would say this shot is caught in between a close portrait and a full body shot and is neither one nor the other. But it's still a very attractive image and the upside down eye contact certainly gives it something extra.

Matt

I have to agree with Matt, and it is interesting how other comments are split between all the animal and a closer crop. I think I will side with the close crop, those big eyes just do it for me.

David

Thanks for the comments.

Spent the last 5 mins using my hands to visualise a crop and then also imagining a wider view but have to say the closer crop may win.

Hi Ben,

lovely image but I would refer a closer crop

I think the closer crop is the way to go hear. I think there is a great picture in that cute face

I have to say I like the picture anyway

Hi Ben,

Maybe if his tail end was in view it might make for an improvement, but otherwise this one did catch my eye - there are a lot of seal pictures about right now, and something a little different is needed and this is a little different, I think

--David