Short eared owl (Asio flammeus)

Hand held, Olympus : E-M1X
Lens Model : M.300mm F4.0 + MC-14
Lens focal length : 420 mm
Focal length in 35 mm film : 841.0mm
Metering mode : Pattern
Shutter speed : 1/2000 sec
Aperture : F6.3
Exposure mode : Manual exposure
ISO : 2500
Exposure bias : -1.3 EV

ACR + PSCC

I know many wont, but I love the forest BG, including the big tree and the dappled light on your beautiful subject, like light coming through canopy. I would burn the wing and body just a little where the sun hits the near wing/body and the opposite on that face(just a slight dodge). TFS

Hi Jon great that you got the owl in flight ... i am fine with the head angle and the wing position , albeit the head is slightly turned away .

Detail look good as does the overall color. There is some blue/cyan in the really distracting big trunk ... i bet you wished he was not there . Only really chance is to make the dark side less obvious ... not removing it .
And i am with David about the lights/HL in the owl .... needs a bit of burning for more detail .

TFS Andreas

Hi Jon, good flight pose showing the raised wings, and in turn, the underwing feather detail. The Owl pops nicely from your BG. My only nit would be wishing there was a touch of light on the face.

Thanks everyone, I am inclined to agree with your critique/comments. I did in fact quite considerably burn the under- wing and I did lift the face. I'll have another look but from what I recall I felt any more burning and things started going cloudy. I exposed far to the right as possible at capture.

The pose is nice and the background is what it is but it portrays the scene as you saw it. Really wish for a head turn towards you to get some light on the face. Im sure you did too. Nice and sharp.

You really needed the bird flying the other way given the lighting; that shaded, turned face just doesn't connect. The backing tree is unfortunate, but the aforementioned faces issues are more pressing for me. I have nothing of this
species. I see them every once in a while but always way out over the marsh while I am birding.