A Gull's Gotta Eat: A gull hurries home with a local mussel in defiance of Saturday's snowstorm, just offshore in Connecticut. Exposure was ISO3200, f/8, 1/800. I invite any comments...

Torquil Loc: The seashore

A gull hurries home with a local mussel in defiance of Saturday's snowstorm, just offshore in Connecticut. Exposure was ISO3200, f/8, 1/800. I invite any comments, but would particularly appreciate opinions on whether the result appears too noisy and/or over-sharpened.

(Download)

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

Torquil wrote:

A gull hurries home with a local mussel in defiance of Saturday's snowstorm, just offshore in Connecticut. Exposure was ISO3200, f/8, 1/800. I invite any comments, but would particularly appreciate opinions on whether the result appears too noisy and/or over-sharpened.

I looked with the download and a second click. It does not appear to be noisy at all. I also looked for CA around the edges and did not notice any that were distracting at all. In my opinion, the snow makes this shot. I also like the fact that the bird has a meal in his mouth. Adds interest. Really nice photo.

Torquil Loc: The seashore

Thanks Erich: Your comments are very helpful. I'm always a bit queasy about how far to go with sharpening.

Jason

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

Torquil wrote:

Thanks Erich: Your comments are very helpful. I'm always a bit queasy about how far to go with sharpening.

Jason

Yes, I know what you mean. Things can get messy in a hurry. I used to sharpen everything; but I try to stay away from that slider now as much as I can. In your photo, I can see why you sharpened. You want all that detail which you got; but you do have to be careful.

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

I think all is perfectly acceptable in my book. Very well done, I have a personal problem with it though..I would want it flipped horizontally. Welcome to the section Torquil. Look forward to more of your posts.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Beautifully done!

Is this a composite? How are you able to have such sharp focus on the bird, especially the eye, without snowflakes showing between you and the bird?

Whether "real" or not, I love the depth of field and placement of bird in the shot. Great atmosphere and interest.

Torquil Loc: The seashore

Frank2013 wrote:

I think all is perfectly acceptable in my book. Very well done, I have a personal problem with it though..I would want it flipped horizontally. Welcome to the section Torquil. Look forward to more of your posts.

Hi Frank: I feel your pain about the bird's direction. Try as I might to get the local avians to fly left to right, they just don't seem to listen.

Torquil Loc: The seashore

Linda From Maine wrote:

Beautifully done!

Is this a composite? How are you able to have such sharp focus on the bird, especially the eye, without snowflakes showing between you and the bird?

Whether "real" or not, I love the depth of field and placement of bird in the shot. Great atmosphere and interest.

Thanks for your comments Linda. No, this is not a composite. I wondered about the snowflakes too. My theory is that there may be some between us and the gull but they mostly blend in with its feathers. I think you can see a few over its right wing, but fortunately none obscure its face.

I'm also a bit surprised by the shallowness of the depth of field at f/8. Not complaining...just surprised.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

It looks good on my PC.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Torquil wrote:

A gull hurries home with a local mussel in defiance of Saturday's snowstorm, just offshore in Connecticut. Exposure was ISO3200, f/8, 1/800. I invite any comments, but would particularly appreciate opinions on whether the result appears too noisy and/or over-sharpened.

Very nice image. While I can find noise if I enlarge it and look hard enough, it is not too noisy with normal viewing, which is all that really matters. Sharpening seems fine.

An in-focus flying gull in a snowstorm is no small feat.

Welcome to FYC, hang around and show us more stuff, and tell us what you think...

Torquil Loc: The seashore

minniev wrote:

Very nice image. While I can find noise if I enlarge it and look hard enough, it is not too noisy with normal viewing, which is all that really matters. Sharpening seems fine.

An in-focus flying gull in a snowstorm is no small feat.

Welcome to FYC, hang around and show us more stuff, and tell us what you think...

Thanks Minnie. Will do!

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I like it, there's just enough in the whites and greys to separate the bird from the background without taking away the severity of the weather. Maybe a tad fortunate that the bird just happens to be crossing the vertical tree line helps.

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Torquil wrote:

A gull hurries home with a local mussel in defiance of Saturday's snowstorm, just offshore in Connecticut. Exposure was ISO3200, f/8, 1/800. I invite any comments, but would particularly appreciate opinions on whether the result appears too noisy and/or over-sharpened.

I myself never worry much about noise. I was a Tri-X shooter for all my working career. I think of noise as grain, and pictures are made out of it. I don't see any excessive noise in this picture anyway! :) I do wonder if it's oversharpened by juuuussst a hair. I suspect you may have been panning with friend gull, since everything else in the picture is slightly smeared. I am a big fan of both panning and sharpening, but I suspect there's a tipping point and it's soooo subjective... I'm a sharp freak but I keep looking at this downloaded and enlarged, and I see why Linda wondered if it was a composite because it looks as if it could be. It was a tough shot and you are well and truly congratulated! But if I'd made it I'd be agonizing over whether I oversharpened it as well. :mrgreen:

Torquil Loc: The seashore

John N wrote:

I like it, there's just enough in the whites and greys to separate the bird from the background without taking away the severity of the weather. Maybe a tad fortunate that the bird just happens to be crossing the vertical tree line helps.

Thanks John. Yes, the bird was very cooperative. The open space behind its head formed an important part of the composition, providing some open space to "fly into".

Torquil Loc: The seashore

Chuck_893 wrote:

I myself never worry much about noise. I was a Tri... (show quote)

Thank you Chuck for the reminder of a time when Tri-X took us up into the ASA 400 range! Those were the days. Your thoughts about sharpening are very similar to mine, which is why I raised the question of oversharpening. There's clearly no single, simple, all-purpose answer, so I expect the agony will continue.