Le Grand Hoot

[Jake Levin]

Went out scouting for owls yesterday and found (knock on wood!) a great spot with not one, but four great grays overwintering! I didn't get many pictures, since the owl I got on was constantly moving around (though the other photographers told me they all like to pose once their appetites are satiated), but I did snap this one. Thoughts/critiques? I'm not sure how I feel about the vertical branches in the bottom half but there was nothing I could do to get rid of them.

1/400 @ f/5.6, ISO 800
Canon 7d MkII, 500mm f/4 IS
ACR conversion
Minor detail extractor work on the bird's face and breast

[Marina Scarr]

A true stunner! The high key and the branches matching the bird give it that high key monotone look and it works great. Your composition is just right!

[Stuart Philpott]

Wonderful Jake,your comp the branches the bkg the colour pallette all work for me,it's amazing that something so large to the eye can alight on a perch that size! I always wish I could see images like yours bigger Jake. I wish you all the luck with them,please share more if the good lady smiles on you

take care

Stu

[William Dickson]

Lovely frame. The owl 'pops' well against that BG. I like the comp.

Will

[Kirk Benson]

Very nice shot Jake... the barren branches of the perch don't bother me at all as they give a sense of the dead of winter that is their habitat. Nice composition and wonderfully exposed. Well done and best of luck on future encounters with the four GG Owls.

[Tim Foltz]

Jake, really like the comp. on this, the extra room really gives a feeling of the barren winter IMO.

-Tim

[dankearl]

This is really nice. The starkness and cold feel are terrific.

[John Mack]

Nice vertical like the composition and high key look.

[Glenn Conlan]

Well done, I like the simplicity of the image