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Gannet (Morus bassanus)


Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Photo Information
Copyright: Andy Manning (toucan1967) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 723 W: 131 N: 828] (4573)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-27
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon EOS 40 D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Exposure: f/8, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Birds [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-05-03 1:58
Viewed: 336
Favorites: 3 [view]
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is another Gannet (Morus bassanus) taken on Lundy, this will be the last bird shot from the Island.

PP
Converted from Raw
Cropped
Shadows and Highlights
Resized for TL
USM

Gannets are seabirds in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.

The gannets are large black and white birds, with long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up to 2 meters. The other two species occur in the temperate seas around southern Africa and southern Australia and New Zealand.

Gannets hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater. Gannets have a number of adaptations which enable them to do this:

they have no external nostrils;
they have air sacs in their face and chest under their skin which act like bubble-wrap, cushioning the impact with the water;
their eyes are positioned far enough forward on their face to give them binocular vision, allowing them to judge distances accurately.
Gannets can dive from a height of 30 m, achieving speeds of 100 km/h as they strike the water, enabling them to catch fish much deeper than most airborne birds.

The gannet's supposed capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to "gannet" becoming a disapproving description of somebody who eats excessively, similar to "glutton".

Info from Wikipedia
codge, jean11-3, Janice, GreenBaron, Royaldevon has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jean11-3: Thankstoucan1967 2 05-04 08:31
To Royaldevon: Thankstoucan1967 1 05-04 07:24
To tomek_wap: Thankstoucan1967 1 05-04 03:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Wow, just compare the image quality of this shot with the Skylark picture. This one is much better with nice details and sharpness all over. You should watch out for the hallow that you introduce in PP. Here we see a hallow around the bird, just like with the Starling shot you posted earlier. This is caused normally by the USM filter.


TFS,
Pedro

You quite like them old gannets don't you!!.. I think this is your best yet, it looks almost 3d in display, quite ethereal against the clouds, I like this a lot....

  • Great 
  • codge Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 100 W: 13 N: 73] (611)
  • [2008-05-03 10:41]

Hi Andy,
Nice capture of gannet. The image is so sharpe and clean it looks unreal. I love the mood in the sky and the way its coming through the thinner layers of feathers. Realy great POV well done
Regards
Codge

This is awesome!
I am speechless.
Great crop, and bird's positioning.
It looks like a painting, just perfect.
Very accurate and great details.

PS. what are those small particles just underneath the bird? I would clone that out.

Tom

Hello Andy,this is a super shot of the gannet.
The placing in the frame is perfect;details are very good and the colours are spot-on.
The cloudy sky is just right as it seems to complement the colours of the gannet.
You obviously enjoyed your trip to Lundy.
Regards Jean.

  • Great 
  • timtim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 944 W: 76 N: 432] (7559)
  • [2008-05-03 20:09]

great capture
nice light and colours

toucan, this is a great image...

perfect pov, great pin-sharp colours...

sky complements birds colours too...

silhouettes of feathers are amazing...lighting is spot-on...

a fantastic shot, well composed and processed.. good presentation and note...

cheers...harry.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3155 W: 237 N: 7015] (28217)
  • [2008-05-04 3:11]

It looks like an angel hovering above:))))
Quite lovely colours Andy, especially the yellow tones of the sky and how they seem to be shining through the wings of the bird.
Good action shot too - nice and sharp - well done
Janice

Hi Andy,
This is stunning;the gannet so well captured against the backlight, the details of the bird are perfect sharp the sky looks quite dramatic with the brownish clouds. I add this image to my favorites.
Hans

Hello Andy,

I nearly missed this one which would have been a pity because it is very goon.
The sharpness for an action shot is excellent and I like the way you have composed it diagonally! Very good details. Was he just coming in to land as his right leg is visible and they usually tuck them in, close to the the body?

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

pl :-)

Many thanks for your comments on 'Afternoon Shadows'.

Hiya Andy

Not sure how on earth I missed this one.. what an absolute stunner! fantastic sharp detail, plenty of space for the bird to fly within the shot and what fantastic sky and cloud tones. Superb shot here Andy well done

TFS regards Helen

  • Great 
  • Derona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 189 W: 115 N: 495] (2837)
  • [2008-05-06 23:40]

Hi Andy

Stunning capture.
Excellent detail and lighting.
Well done.

Regards Derek

A quick hello Andy, you are getting some great bird photos! This one is super, a pretty bird! :} Don

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