A first photograph of this species for me. I just got back from a 4 day trip to the Skagit Delta here in Washington. Lots of raptors around as well as Trumpeter and Tundra Swans and Snow Geese. The rivers are too high for the Bald Eagles to feed on spawned out Chum Salmon, so they’re also down on the flats in large numbers. Unfortunately, this area is handy to some pretty large population centers so it felt rather crowded. When this owl came through, there must have been at least 20 photographers waiting for it, though most happened to be facing the wrong way for its trajectory.
This is a fairly decent crop, but I could probably go further-any opinions yea or nay?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Anything you notice.
Any pertinent technical details:
7DII, /Sigma 150-600 C @ 600, tripod with ball head and Sidekick, f/8, 1/4000, iso 640, manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. NeatImage for noise reduction. Cropped to 9 MP. Taken at 1:34 pm January 13th under sunny skies.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Oh wow, Dennis, what a nice in flight shot of this beautiful owl. I wish I could have be the 21st photographer beside you, and aimed in the right direction. I have yet to get a shot of an owl in the wild. Maybe one day. Great shot. I love the wing position you caught him in, allowing us to enjoy his beautiful plumage.
Fine flight image of a beautiful bird, Dennis. I very much like the owl in the frame with the landscape and the owl’s headturn. DOF looks ideal for the shot and you got the owl to show up in very nice light.
Bird is nice and sharp, and the exposure is spot on. I love the OOF weeds above the bird and the environmental feel of the looser shot. However, I am not a big fan of the muddy water below the bird. I’d crop a bit more to emphasize the weeds and deemphasize the water.
