Great Horned Owl

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

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Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Here in Arizona we have many birds on our property. I get used to the constant, but normal chirping and chattering. So when I suddenly heard a marked increase in frantic noise I knew something was up. A great Horned Owl had entered the area and the regular crew was not happy. Luckily I had my camera and 300mm handy and was able to gat this image.

Specific Feedback

All feedback is welcome

Technical Details

Lumix S5, 70-300 lens
f8, 1/320, iso 1250
Hand held

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2

Man oh man! Great capture. That little gold spot on the left keeps attracting my eye. Clone it out maybe? Small thing. Well done.

3

Very good, Bill. I don’t recall you posting in the Avian forum before, so welcome! This is a really fine image of the owl with that classic stare that any hard-core manager would love to emulate. The harsh blues in the background are a bit of a bummer, but that’s the way it is sometimes. You could try bringing the saturation of the blues down, but I think it would also mess with the leaves and would probably require a lot of delicate masking. You could also look at a B&W rendition which sometimes mellows out backgrounds surprisingly well.

4

Wow!
The bird in itself is great - perhaps a little more exposure.
Background - I would try decreasing contrast and saturation some

5

This is a very nice look at the owl in a pleasing habitat. Those eyes stand out and is mimicked by the yellow spots in the tree. The owl looks sharp, though there seems to be a blue cast in its whites.

6

WOW! Fantastic capture!!! As others have suggested I would try de-emphasizing the background - try reducing saturation, contrast, maybe the highlights.

I love it though!