The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
We see a lot of Buffy Fish Owls during my Borneo visits. They’re quite common along the canals shooting off from the Kinabatangan River. So I’d already photograph quite a few when this opportunity popped up last month. We were just leaving this owl, which was striking a typical perched pose close to the water, when another boat approached from upstream. Their spotlight caught the owl for just a few seconds, providing this lovely sidelighting… which in turn obscured the background and made for a different sort of Buffy portrait than I was used to.
Technical Details
Canon R3
Canon 600mm
ISO 6400
1/60th
f/4
Critique Template
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A great shot Max. The spotlight has been handled well, they can often be very strong. The framing works well, I like the way that the perch branch serves to compliment the bird, and gives a little context.
And what an eye!
Thanks, Ryan. It really helped that the other boat was still far away, so the lighting was much more subtle than it would have been had they been close. I suspect more of the background would’ve have been visible as well, so I was really thankful to avoid that distraction.
The lighting in this image is awesome, Max. It works very well to evoke the feeling of the time of day when most owls are active. I do think you have a bit more negative space on the left than needed, but that’s pretty much a matter of taste. Great job taking advantage of the situation. You’ll have to start having a second boat tag along to provide lighting.
My first question that popped into my head when I first saw this was “how did he light this?” Your description provided that. But then looking at the photo more intently, I have to marvel at how freeeakingly ominous the lighting and the pose and that only one half of the owl is visible has made the owl. That gut piercing gold-yellow eye, the rich brown feathers, that cold stare into your soul, and then fade into black is so chilling and exciting at the same time. Its a great photo!
Dennis, I would like that composition as well. I’m actually a fan of horizontals with a lot of negative space even with a “vertical” subject. In this case I toyed with the idea of leaving it as a square crop (with the owl/stick on the right), but ultimately chose to reduce the empty space a bit… happened to fit better as a full pager in my year-end yearbook project as well.
What a stunningly beautiful capture! Being in the right place at the right time always provides us with unique opportunities we might otherwise never imagine. How lucky you were to have the spotlight be just the perfect distance away to make this image a winner! How talented and skillful you were to load, lock & fire at the precise moment required!! This owl makes you stop and look at it; it doesn’t merely speak to you, it shouts at you and demands your attention! Excellent image!
The side lighting is impressive. I like the eye which is vibrant and pulls the viewer’s eye up into that part of the frame. The near black BG is perfect for the owl. The lighting looks very warm and I would be tempted to reduce the reds slightly in the image. Awesome photo…Jim
