Hi Judd,
Colour can have a strong impact on a photograph. Some colours, like warm orange can embrace us into a photograph while other colours can distance us. Then there are those colours that are just plainly unattractive.
I enjoy the moment with this gull, just how it is effortlessly sitting in the sky looking for its next meal. What I dislike though, is the dirty grey-green colour of the sea in the background.
One other thought that I have with this image too is that you have lost any detail in the gulls head.
To remedy this situation I have called the image into Nic Software’s HDR Efex Pro software and added an effect called Night on Earth (#14). The filter has the effect of adding some more colour and contrast into the sea while at the same time darkening the gull’s head.
In the same effect I have also added a vignette to keep the corners dark.
I am happy with this new image. And all we had to do to it was adjust the tones. Simple!
If you have photographed this image in RAW then chances are you can go back to the original file and recreate a similar look.
Cheers,
Anthony.
Image Doctor's edited version
