seanmcgregor

Seagulls On The Coast

I had to climb down a steep edge of the cliff for this shot, but the end results were rewarding.

I had to climb down a steep edge of the cliff for this shot, but the end results were rewarding.
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NIKON D2X

Aperture 56/10 ISO 160 Shutter 1/500 Focal Length 3000/10

upload_date

Jul, 2016

Views

121

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Awards

Action Award

Zenith Award

Creative Winter Award

Curator's Selection

Legendary Award

Member Selection Award

Summer Selection

Absolute Masterpiece

+11

Superb Composition

+10

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Top Ranks

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in Howth, Co. Dublin, a small fishing village in Ireland which I have grown up in. I know the landscape and trails like the back of my hand.

Time

This is one of my favourite images from my collection. I was on a cliff walk with my friend, who was also taking photos at the time, at about 5 PM when I took this shot. As I looked down the cliff I saw the two seagulls perched on a rock jutting out of the cliff and I thought to myself that they were lined up perfectly for a shot with the sea behind them. I handed my gear and bag, and began to carefully scale down a safer part of the headland. It took a very careful descent until I was roughly 4 meters away from the birds. As soon as I was in the position with the perspective I had I knew instantly that this was going to be a great shot.

Lighting

This was shot with the sun behind me, illuminating the birds perfectly from the right angle. The sun was at a low enough angle, at about 5 PM. It was very warm lighting at the time. Post just improved the shot even more and led me to one of my more exceptional shots.

Equipment

This shot was taken with a Nikon D2X and a sigma 70-300 macro lens. It was taken at f5.6

Inspiration

I just enjoy putting as much effort as I can into capturing great shots and the perfect moments. As soon as I visioned this shot I was determined to make it down there.

Editing

I did my post processing in Camera RAW on Photoshop. I brought the contrasts up and made it a bit darker. Also, one of the seagulls had a yellow hue running around the bird's back and neck, which I removed.

In my camera bag

In my bag I usually have my Nikon D2X, which is my preferred body to use. I also have with me my nifty fifty, my Nikkor 50mm 1.8D, which is my go to lens for most situations. My other lenses are my 18-55 f3.5-5.6G and my Sigma 70-300 macro. I also bring along my 24mm macro extension tube with me. The majority of my macro shots are taken with this.

Feedback

As long as you have a vision and you know what you want to capture, you can almost always succeed, even without fancy and expensive gear. The time of day is everything when it comes to me taking photos. I prefer to shoot between 3 pm and 6 pm in the summer (when this shot was taken), because it provides a warmer lighting and atmosphere just before the sun has set. The weather and time affect the shot in so many different ways. With that being said, don't let bad weather put you off going out. Take care of your gear and head out anyway, some of my favourite shots have been taken in stormy weather on the pier near where I live. Determination and perseverance is everything and will eventually lead you to the perfect shot.

See more amazing photos, follow seanmcgregor

seanmcgregor

seanmcgregor

Seagulls On The Coast

I had to climb down a steep edge of the cliff for this shot, but the end results were rewarding.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow seanmcgregor

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