What technical feedback would you like if any? I cropped out some surrounding OOF twigs and removed the ones that were protruding over and above the owl. Does this comp work as presented?
What artistic feedback would you like if any? Any?
Pertinent technical details or techniques: D500, 600mm f4 + 1.4 TC (1/250 sec at f6.3, Iso 400) Topaz DeNoise AI, Topaz Adjust AI, Shadows & Highlights, Brightness & Contrast. Rubber stamp tool was used to remove some OOF twigs and 25% were cropped from the image. This is a female great horned owl with one of her owlets and she is reacting to a group of 5 crows that were flying high from the right hand side of the image. Her mate was concealed on a willow branch about 50 feet away and above her in perfect position to come to her aid if needed. The crows quickly left the area.
(If backgrounds have been removed, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
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jameszablotny
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Perhaps I’m reading more into it, but given your narrative, there does seem to be a watchful intensity to her gaze. I’d say the comp works and tells your story nicely. Good detail in the owl, too.
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Superb job nailing the focus, Jim, and I like the way she’s looking. I do wish she’d pointed her tail to one side, but you had no control over that. You might burn down the few really bright areas on the tail tip as they kind of grab my eye on its way to the owl’s face. I also think more room on the top, if you have it, would be nice both for the upward look and to give the illusion of a lower angle. It’s always nice to get one of these, but they always seem to be in the most inconvenient locations.
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Jim, to capture an owl in the wild has been a goal of mine that is still out there for me, but to see one on the nest, that is amazing. I love here stare off to the side, keeping a close eye for anything that might harm her little one. Very nice.
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Very nice to be able to get this close and have superb detail. I do agree with Dennis with respect to his cropping suggestions. With the technical numbers you presented, I might have boosted the iso a tiny bit in order to get one more stop depth of field. You could also try using topaz AI sharpen on the tail and wood if you have it. When one looks at the larger image there is a tad of softness in the tip of the tail and the wood below it. Sometimes when you’re shooting up as it appears you are here, it creates a less than ideal point of view, something you can’t do anything about unless you happen to have a ladder. I’d be curious to see what the image looks like with a slight clockwise rotation.
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Hello, Jim. I love the way the owl sort of blends in with the bark. The looking up is explained well enough through the crows. Love it ! Hans
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