I photograph seagulls (AKA $hit-hawks ) in flight with the following purposes:
(1) Learn a bit about BIF shooting techniques. (For that I use pijuns more often these days )
(2) Test photography gear, which is very practical for me because the birds are plentiful in my area, and their flight is largely predictable and repetitive which are really prerequisites for meaningful and efficient tests.
(3) Calibrate camera metering on them, just before shooting a variety of similarly white birds such as terns, egrets, swans, etc. (Most of my BIF photography is done in manual exposure mode).
Here are four shots which are a byproduct of some recent lens tests and comparisons.
#1....400DO
#2 & #3.....300 f/2.8 IS MkI
#4......200 f/1.8
Disclosure: These birds were not baited. They flew towards me unsolicited.
I also do BIF practice with seagulls, which of course are also prevalent here along the coast. (We call them Winged Rats. I rarely give them enought credit to look good enough to be "post-able", which all of yours are, Peter. My fave is #4. He looks almost graceful, and that bg is killer.
Spot on focus on all of these Peter For me the last is by far the best of the set, quite the dramatic presentation. The backgrounds of the others are a bit distracting.
Believe it or not, gulls are prized by many birders. They are an exercise in subtlety in plumage and body proportions. No need to apologize for photographing gulls.
trailhiker wrote:
I also do BIF practice with seagulls, which of course are also prevalent here along the coast. (We call them Winged Rats. I rarely give them enought credit to look good enough to be "post-able", which all of yours are, Peter. My fave is #4. He looks almost graceful, and that bg is killer.
Best Wishes,
Steve
Thank you, Steve.....if it flies, we try to shoot it.
Tim Kuhn wrote:
Spot on focus on all of these Peter For me the last is by far the best of the set, quite the dramatic presentation. The backgrounds of the others are a bit distracting.
Tim
Thank you, Tim.....the background in the first three shots consists of all kinds of junk, structures, highlites, cars, boats....you name it.....so it does generate a crazy "canvass".
The last shot was done in a natural setting, thus the difference.
BearCreekLar wrote:
These really look pretty good, I like the 3rd the best, but the bright spot is a tad distreacting
Lar
Thank you, Larry, I agree, the background on the first three is smoth but fragmented. If that was a shot of an Ivory Billed woodpecker instead of a gull, I would probably try to convert him into a more appropriate habitat.
jstephens62 wrote:
Believe it or not, gulls are prized by many birders. They are an exercise in subtlety in plumage and body proportions. No need to apologize for photographing gulls.
I agree with that, Jack.....gulls have their finer moments too.
I might dig into my more "artsy" files some day and show you yet a different look on gulls.
Excellent shots! I was wondering which lens the 4th and the bird squawking corresponds to (sorry if I missed where you stated so)? Those have a really excellent quality to them that I can't quit put my finger on but just love the milky smooth backgrounds. Maybe it's the contrast.
chupacabra31 wrote:
Excellent shots! I was wondering which lens the 4th and the bird squawking corresponds to (sorry if I missed where you stated so)? Those have a really excellent quality to them that I can't quit put my finger on but just love the milky smooth backgrounds. Maybe it's the contrast.
Thank you, Nate.
Your eyes are very good.
This is what might be happening here. When I started doing this photography hobby, nothing was sharp or contrasty or colourful enough. Nowadays, my eyes hurt more easily, so what I do in many of my shots is tone them down bit in pp.
That is largely an area of personal taste......a bit more punchy, or more subdued, and in between.
The squawking bird was done with 300 f/2.8 IS Mk I as well.
Jan 24, 2012 at 12:47 PM
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) in flight with the following purposes:
I rarely give them enought credit to look good enough to be "post-able", which all of yours are, Peter. My fave is #4. He looks almost graceful, and that bg is killer. 
