Where's Waldo?

[Marina Scarr]

After revisiting some older images, I processed this one today from my trip to Canada photographing Great Grey Owls with Daniel and Doug last year. Traveled down a fairly steep embankment to capture this GGO resting in it's environment. After getting all the way down there with my long lens, I decided the wide angle was the way to go. So, up and back down I went traipsing through thigh deep snow. It began to snow lightly upon my return, and I was so pleased b/c I feel as though the snow completes this image. I actually had to braise myself up against a tree trunk to take this image so as not to roll down the remainder of the hill.

Canon 1D4, Canon 24-105L @ 55mm
F5, 1/640sec, ISO 640, manual mode
HH

C & C always welcomed and much appreciated.

[Karl Egressy]

Good write up and a very nice image showing the habitat.
Great work, Marina.
It brought back some good memories from the winter of 2004-2005 when I found my very first GGOW in a similar environment.

[Norm Dulak]

Interesting post, Marina, with an interesting story behind it. And what a heroic effort you made to capture this image! But are you sure that the bird's name is really Waldo? :bg3:

Since this is a critique forum, I might try to clone out some of the lower right branches if it were mine. But this is cool as is.

[John Rowell]

This owl was no dummy as it sounds like he really made you work for your shot, which is a terrific environmental image. I like it a lot. You've really captured what it's like to be in the winter woods and look up to see an owl.

[gail bisson]

I love this Marina. It reminds me of the scene in "The Big Year" when the father finds the owl in the woods for his son (played by Jack Black).
Great vertical lines and you placed the owl right in the sweet spot.
I might do a slight clean-up of some of the branches in the RLC- specifically the long horizontal branch and the diagonal one. But great as is.
Well done
Gail
The images I work the hardest for are always my favorites so I appreciate this one.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Fantastic image Marina...great eye in spotting the opportunity!! I would not have thought of taking this image, super nice.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Your perseverance and thinking paid off Marina. Beautiful shot of a beautiful bird.

[Randall Farhy]

This is one cool image, knowing the story behind such an image makes it even more interesting. Are there two owls or is that part of the tree behind the Grey? Would like to have something like this in my collection.

[Marina Scarr]

Are there two owls or is that part of the tree behind the Grey?

Only one owl in this one. Good eye though. What you are seeing is lichen.

[Iain Barker]

Great shot Marina,
I think most would have just gone for a close up. Good to see the environment as well.

TFS
Iain

[Bill Dix]

Love it, Marina. Captures what it's like to find an owl in the woods. I don't think some cropping off the bottom would harm the overall concept, and might remove a bit of distracting stuff.

[Joseph Przybyla]

At first I thought it was only woods, then I found the owl. Beautiful bird that I would like to see more of. Quite the story regarding the image, well worth the effort.

[Grace Scalzo]

Perfect! I bet this would be simply superb printed big and hung with the owl just slightly above eye level. Visionary, Marina.

[Doug Brown]

I've got fond memories of that first afternoon in Canada with my first GGO! I like the wide angle perspective; I was in long lens heaven, and never even thought to go with a shorter focal length.

[David Salem]

Nice looking habitat shot Marina and I really like the vertical comp allot. Gives a real sense of height. Looks like some cold tough conditions so Well done.