Fulmar seascape, Caithness (the forgotten county!)

I'm very fond of 'wildlife landscapes' where the wildlife subject is fairly small in the frame and is almost of secondary importance compared to the wider view. Sometimes these shots have wildlife that dominates (for various reasons) but other times its the landscape that dominates. Occasionally there's a balance between the two, imho. This was a bitter winter late afternoon as the sun dipped, and the light on the sea stacks was sublime. There are some amazing corners in Caithness.

EOS1DsMk2, 70-200mm f2.8, 1/250 @ f8, ISO100

That is a lovely recession from right to left and yes, I can feel the chill from here!

David

I like this but wonder if it would be better suite as a pure B&W image

the harsh blue sea clashes slightly with the natural sepia tones making it an image of two halves

Hi John
This works well with the dept of the cliffs disspearing into the distance. As Mike says it may work better in black and white or even as a sepia print (you wouldnt lose the colour in the cliffs and sky that way!)

Love it John - just needs a Chinese fisherman with his cormorant

I wonder if losing the bottom centimetre ofr so of surf that's in the shade might just better balnce it overall, but I know you're more considered at this sort of aspect than me so may be just how I'd prefer it personally.

Mark

Love the image John great atmosphere to the image

Think this one will look great large John, super.

Des

Another big success John, love them, very different.

I like it a lot John though I think if more of the fulmars had been recognizable as birds rather than far off specks it would be a stonger image.
Robert

As said, a very large version would be very nice to see indeed great work..

Brett

Sweet with great recession.

Ian

keep coming back to this, really like it

A very interesting and clever shot which I like a lot. I know where Mike is coming from, but it is that contrast between the colour at the bottom and the sepia tones in the cliffs that really make it stand out for me. Excellent shot.
Eric

I keep coming back to this, I really like the image, however the size here does it no justice at all, definitely one to see bigger!

Hi, I like this.

Thanks for your comments and observations folks. Interesting responses, which I have to say have made me consider this image more closely. Funny how critical comment can make you 'see' aspects you'd missed. Such as the shaded surf Mark mentioned - which I'd considered as a bottom 'frame' for the image, but I can see what he means with his suggestion. And I 'd not even thought about a b&w version, which I must try.

I'd tried to maintain the contrast between the warm sunset light at frame top and the cool blue light at bottom in the shade, as the moment the sun went off the water the colour balance shifted dramatically and the absence of any hills on this side of Caithness meant the sun had a clear run to the horison and just got more and more golden as it neared it. The later images, when I was higher up the cliff, are dramatically golden orange.

If you've not visited this place put it on your list!

I can see the attraction here very clearly, but I'm afraid it's not working for me as it is. I agree with the suggestion that a larger version might help by making the birds more identifiable as such. I also think black and white might be much stronger. However, I am really looking forward to seeing more from the series from what you describe above.

Dynamic shot to my eyes John. At first the comp jars because of the rock formations but like most my favourite music albums, it is a 'grower'. A personal preference would be to lose a little from the bottom.

Cheers,
Chris