The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
Sunsets vary from one day to the other. The second picture required me to come back the next day. During my first attempt, clouds above the horizon hid the sun way before it sank in the sea.
Feedback Requested
Taking the first picture was quite straightforward. Choosing the right light was not a problem. For the second one, the choice between seeing the bird fly in and the right exposure for the sun, resulted in a white sun. Would you go back?
The metadata of the second picture are completely suboptimal. Too much impatience with what I was attempting?
Technical Details
Hovering
Camera: Canon EOS R6
Lens: RF200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
Focal length: 800mm
Shutter speed: 1/800s
Aperture: f/9
ISO: 100
Flying
Camera: Canon EOS R6
Lens: RF200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
Focal length: 800mm
Shutter speed: 1/8000s
Aperture: f/9
ISO: 10000
I like the silhouettes of the resting and flying gannets. For the first image, I was wondering if it would be worth it if you cropped some off the left to put the flying gannet in the top LH corner of the frame. That would also reduce the size of the blown highlight in the lower part of the frame. The BG is interesting, but kind of crunchy. You may want to soften it slightly. I’m not an expert on this type of photography so take my recommendations merely as suggestions rather than as an iron clad rule. For the second image, I feel that making the sun off centered might generate further interest for the eye. Try cropping some from the LH side. I can see the heat shimmer in the sun which is essential for conveying the warm conditions on the evening that these photos were taken. Well done…Jim
The first image really caught my eye, Xavier. I first focused on the flying bird and suddenly realized that he horizon was all birds-a very neat effect. I do like @Jim_Zablotny suggestion of cropping a bit from the left and top in that one. The second image, while the settings are weird (we’ve all done that), I do like the result. I kind of like the centered look since the sun is so dominant in the frame. I could see bringing up the water just a bit to provide a touch more contrast between it and the lower gannet. Perhaps a very gently linear gradient on the water would be effective.
I love that first image Xavier, especially for the horizon of birds that@Dennis_Plank notes. That gold behind is beautiful.
For the second photo, the lower gannet feels a bit out of place to me, and I’d be tempted to crop tighter to the sun and upper bird to remove the lower.
Hi Xavier, Nice images highlighting these birds at last light. Love the first image with the hovering bird and the group down below. I like the crop suggestion of some room taken off the left. The second image is also intriguing. Not sure I have many suggestions. Wondering if the sun would be less white with different settings as you mention.
Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. The RAW images are on my HDD at home. Trying out your suggestions will have to wait until I return, after the (hopefully visible) total eclipse of the sun in the North of Spain next week.
Xavier the first image is a stunner! The silhouetted gannets really make the image. I love the background color created by the sun on the water as well. Like a couple of others mentioned, the water is just a tad over-powering to my eye. I wouldn’t want to change it much, but perhaps you could use a luminance mask and soften up the water just a little to highlight the birds better without losing that great color. Just a preference though, the images are great as is.
