Gloria Grandolini
October 2026 - Tired From Courting
About the Image(s)
I took this portrait of a blue-footed booby in Española Island in Galapagos .
There were many boobies dancing and courting all around but this one was sitting
quietly and let me come really close and was looking straight at me.
I could see all the details of the face and feathers.
I also liked that the green of his eyes was coordinated with the leaves behind.
Shot with a Canon R5
1/400 sec at f/11 ISO 800
75 mm (RF 24-105 f 2.8 L IS USM)
Cropped just a bit denoised and adjusted exposure in Lightroom classic.
5 comments posted
Gloria, good portrait of the blue-footed booby on an homogeneous background staring at you. Image is sharp. Since the bird is already amputated, I would do the crop even tighter. Posted: 10/01/2026 15:00:01
Thank you Isaac I agree! Posted: 10/01/2026 18:24:51
It would make the bird stand out more if you could have blurred the background and darkened the background highlights. To me to image is about the eyes. I would have saturated them a bit. I used Isaac's cropped image. Posted: 10/03/2026 02:14:15
Gloria - this is a nice image of tones and textures! I like Isaac's and Doug's suggestions, but having spent time in the Galapagos and seen these birds up close, I believe that although their suggestions are valid, your original image stands as a solid representation of the flora and fauna of this island. Posted: 10/06/2026 03:30:34
Gloria I have no more to add on the suggestions already madw. Posted: 10/06/2026 05:12:06