# Here come the Owls. **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** birds\ **Created:** [March 9, 2026, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055 "2026-03-09T16:02:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morrissey](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/peter_morrissey/32/683_2.png) [@Peter\_Morrissey](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Peter_Morrissey)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/1 "2026-03-09T16:02:56Z")
![DSC_5563_DxO.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/6/f/6fc9ccf9b1ba934904f7bf8a7a4f4103ae80545f.jpeg) ![DSC_5055_DxO.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/7/9/79fa8880f03e7a55efaeda9849c9577770192647.jpeg) ![DSC_5058_DxO.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/9/2/92521d87aa8064f0af1021440014a66157bc234c.jpeg) ![DSC_5099_DxO.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/8/c/8c6c3e948ad58390f1485ec0eff78444b50df00a.jpeg) > **Critique Style Requested:** _Standard_ > > The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image. ### Description We were driving down a 4-lane highway when Barry spotted this Great Horned Owl and a hatchling in the V of a 20th tree. That required getting off the highway and setting up across the four lands for this first shot. The next three photographs were taken around 6 PM in a park. Thank you for stopping by. eter ### Specific Feedback any ### Technical Details Z8, Nikon 180-600mm & 1.4ext, f9, 1/200, 840mm, -.7EV, ISO 400, 840mm, +1EV, 1/800, ISO 25,000, 1/1250,ISO 10,000, and cropped in DXO PhotoLab 9 by 50%, 12% & 50%. ---
**Author:** ![Allen\_Brooks](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/allen_brooks/32/390_2.png) [@Allen\_Brooks](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Allen_Brooks)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/2 "2026-03-09T17:04:23Z")
Nice set of owl images, Peter. The parent and the owlet makes for a pleasing image, My favorite is the second one, which I feel is the sharpest and shows some nice habitat. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/3 "2026-03-09T20:31:12Z")
Well, your explanation helped a lot, Peter. I thought that might have been a long distance shot in the first one as it didn’t quite have the punch. I suspect you lost a little to atmospherics. All those cars in four lanes of traffic are adding a lot of atmospheric disturbance, exhaust and heat, so you lost a bit of fine detail. That said the adult and chick together are always worth shooting and it looks like your focus was right on. Like @Allen_Brooks, my favorite is the second. It really has presence and is sharp enough to cut stone. The third looks like it has a bit of motion blur-not at all unusual for a take-off shot when I’m shooting. The 4th is very good as well, it just doesn’t have the impact of the second. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Douglass](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dave_douglass/32/5332_2.png) [@Dave\_Douglass](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dave_Douglass)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/4 "2026-03-10T13:59:12Z")
Very nice collection of owl captures. I really like that second one. I love to get “owl” photos. One of my favorite bird subjects. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morrissey](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/peter_morrissey/32/683_2.png) [@Peter\_Morrissey](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Peter_Morrissey)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/5 "2026-03-10T20:36:40Z")
Hi Allen, Dennis & Dave Thank you for the comments. I agree that the second shot is the best. I dropped the shutter speed to 1/800 in the hope of gaining some light. I was shooting in small bursts, and just as I pushed the shutter down, the Owl launched from the tree. That produced the motion blur. Peter ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Zablotny](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_zablotny/32/3919_2.png) [@Jim\_Zablotny](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Zablotny)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 1:39pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/6 "2026-03-11T13:39:34Z")
I like the final one the best and go with a vertical crop for improving the comp. I agree that heat shimmer, haze and other atmospheric anomalies reduced the sharpness slightly. Overall, each image is nice considering the difficulties you overcame getting the shots. Well done, and I like pose in the last shot which is my favorite one of the lot…Jim ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morrissey](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/peter_morrissey/32/683_2.png) [@Peter\_Morrissey](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Peter_Morrissey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/here-come-the-owls/50055/7 "2026-03-11T19:02:00Z")
Hi Jim Thank you for your comment. Peter