Snowy Owl

[Bob Malbon]

http://bob-malbon-photo.smugmug.com/photos/435855929_3DMR8-O.jpg

Working at home on pre-Winter chores the day after the ice storm got an email from a guys i-phone about this Snowy. Dropped the tools and grabed the camera.
iso 800, AV, f5.6 at 1/500 EV +2/3 - 1DMK3 on 500mm f4 IS - hand held - just as the sun went down. Bob

[alexccimages]

The image is nice with nice golden light. Did you apply a gaussian blur to the background ? The difference between the background and bird is IMHO distracting.
:)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great find and setting but I find it too close in the frame and would tone down the highlights a bit.

[Juan Aragonés]

I like this one a lot. If this is a crop you should take into consideration to look for a different cropping. I would love to see a landscape crop with a good amount of room at the left and a little bit more at the right. Agree with Axel about the highlights.

[Doug Brown]

Like the eye contact. Have to agree that the area of the BG in the same focal plane as the bird should be in focus; it just doesn't look right to the eye. And I would like to see a bit more room for the bird in the frame.

[Grady Weed]

Bob, where was this, the airport? Call me next time will you? Big congrats by the way.

[Bob Malbon]

Grady, Biddeford Pool - will do! - Bob
Doug, The focus on this was distorted by me but other frames are soft also. There may not have been grass on plane with the owl - it was up on a bit of a rise. I will post another. Thanks to all! Bob