Great Horned Owl Portrait

[Bill Dix]

This was from a Raptor Free-Flight demonstration in Tucson. I hadn't expected this grand beast to land so close to me. This is FF+; my first shot clipped his ear-tufts, and I tilted the camera up to get a second frame to merge the tufts. I wish I had been quick-thinking enough to drop the ISO and/or SS (I was set for BIF), and stop down several stops for better DOF, but it all happened very quickly before he flew off again. Ideally it would have been nice to get a piece of the second pupil, but I was crowded between other folks and couldn't move to my right (even if I had thought of it).

D7000, 500f4, ISO 2000, 1/2000s @ f/7.1 manual.

[Lyle Gruby]

Really handsome subject Bill. Your PP skills are excellent as always. IQ on the bird is very nice, and I never remember to go for a lower aperture when a bird is close, so I feel your pain. I like the subtle variations in the BG. Your self-critique pointed out almost anything I'd have said except that the scene appears a little flat, and I'd experiment with adding a little contrast.

[Steve Canuel]

Very nice portrait of my favorite bird. Detailed but soft in color and texture. Nice.

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent portrait. Beautiful colors, absolutely superb details, nice BG and composition.


Regards,
Satish.