Down low with a Burrowing Owl.

[Daniel Cadieux]

In between new local bird photos that I've been post-processing I've also been finishing a few more of the Florida bird pictures I took back in February. Here's another of the Burrowing Owl that I quite like. For this one I got down low to put some foreground out-of-focus vegetation in the bottom part of the image to make for a softer, cleaner edge at the bottom. It looked alot better this way than getting higher and seeing the "messy" surroundings, plus it gave an intimate eye-level view of this beautiful raptor.

Canon 1D MK IV + 100-400L + 1.4 TC (560mm), aperture priority, evaluative metering, 1/250s., f/9, ISO 800, -0.7 EC, natural light, handheld (elbows to ground), FF.

[Tom Rambaut]

I like this - the low perspective and the OOF vegetation gives a real view to how this raptor lives in the wild.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Very nice Daniel. I'd take OOF FG blur like this any day over a subpar BG. Good choice. Comp., exposure, IQ excellent as always.

[Robert Holguin]

Real nice shot. I really like the low angle and the pose its giving you. Great eye contact and detail. Well done.

[DanWalters]

Nice low angle and I like the OOF grass in the foreground. Nice soft light as well.

[Stu Bowie]

Good low perspective Dan, and the surrounding OOF grasses works well to frame the little guy. Good eye contact, and I like the soft light. Well captured.

[Chris Martinez]

Daniel, did you have to selectively fiddle with any of the OOF blades of grass. If not it worked out nicely not having any errant blades. I really like these types of photographs(framed with OOF stuff) but it's often a challenge to have everything come together.

I like the way in which the bird is looking through that "tunnel" which cuts across the frame.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Gorgeous image...IQ and low angle are great and the colors look spot on!

[stuart wanuck]

Like low perspective eyes are intense good image

[Daniel Cadieux]

Daniel, did you have to selectively fiddle with any of the OOF blades of grass. If not it worked out nicely not having any errant blades. I really like these types of photographs(framed with OOF stuff) but it's often a challenge to have everything come together.

I like the way in which the bird is looking through that "tunnel" which cuts across the frame.

Thanks Chris. No grass blade removal for this one, just careful positioning and a bit lucky that there wasn't anything else in the way...

[Chris Martinez]

Good on ya Daniel !!

[Jon Lutz]

I like the balanced framing within the green, eye level perspective, and the fact that the owl is not staring right back at you. It is a sweet and calm photo of a high-strung species.