Simple Seagull

I've begun a course called Beyond Layers.  Today's project was to use a texture layer provided by Kim Klassen, and use it in simplifying a photograph.

This is my original photograph taken of a gull hanging out at the beach.  In Photoshop, I made a duplicate layer of the original.  On the duplicate layer, I used Color Balance and adjusted Cyan to -50.  I added Kim's "awaken" texture layer using soft light at 100%.  I felt this made the gull too pale, so I used the eraser tool on the texture layer.  I worked at 25% opacity, and ended up doing it three times, so I guess that would equal using the eraser tool at 75% opacity.  Next, I flattened the image.  My last step was to adjust the mid levels from 1.00 to 0.75.

I've used this photograph of this gull before - maybe he deserves a name?  Let's try Gunther, that seems to suit him!  Here's a link to my earlier post when Gunther was used with a more pronounced texture layer, as well as a layer that was a photograph of ocean waves.  That time I used hard light instead of soft light.  Today's image is definitely more subtle.