GHO Backwards Glance

[Steve Canuel]

20D, 500/4 + 1.4xTCII, f5.6, 1/160s, ISO 200, Eval Mtr, tripod mount, MLU.
Steve

[carole wiley]

I like this alot. You did a nice job with the dappled light. Neat being able to see the face and the backside, where all the best markings are.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great find, details and pose. Too bad about the shadows on the bird's body.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Steve. Normally, this kind of light is an image killer, but you handled it very well. It looks the way your eye sees this kind of light, rather than how the camera usually does. You might consider toning down the bright spot in the background touching the owl's left side - my eye is drawn there. I like the pose and the composition. Isn't it amazing how far around owls can turn their heads? I'm not sure if everyone knows this, but owls cannot move their eyes within their sockets like most animals can so they have to turn their whole head when they want to look at something. (Just a miscellaneous factoid.)

[Daniel Cadieux]

I'm with Steve on this one. I actually like the shadows in this case even if it breaks traditional thinking. They are not too dark to overpower, and give a "perched within the woods" type of atmosphere to the image. If anything it would have been cool if the eye was in a sunnier part :-)

[Brian Wong]

Hi Steve!

I'm really enjoying this one! I also really enjoy the background, but I can't quite put my finger on it ... perhaps it mimics the owl and alert ears? I like seeing all the details on the back side, as well as the face at the same time.

[Arthur Morris]

Great subject and a cool pose, but for me, the filtered light is a killer no matter how well handled (as in well here...)

In this image for example the light is on the forehead not the eyes so we look at the forehead. The only type of mixed light that works for me is a spotlight on the eyes or the face. The bright white spot is also a distraction.

[Steve Canuel]

Thanks everyone for the comments on this one. I would've preferred an undappled light on the owl but found the amount acceptable for my tastes. Since mentioned, the forehead spot does draw my eye now more than the spot on the back.

Steve, I did know that about owls. When I did first learn that, the unique, intense gaze of owls made sense.

Brian, one of the draws of the BG for me is the subtle "burst" pattern of the pine needles. Maybe that's what you're liking too?