Sunset in your eye...

EOS R EF 400 DO I f5.6 1/1300 ISO 500

Noticed this burrow with sand flying high out of the entrance. I had to move left off the sun line because the sun was very low (about to touch horizon) and my own shadow(even though laying down) would have impinged on any image. I was laying there waiting to see if the digger would emerge. Up came a dog to my left drawn by the fountain of sand. One bark was all it took. This intense beauty popped out from the tunnel and started very low with the classic squinty stare. Then slowly rising in stature and relaxing the squint till the apex where it was reapplied. In one burst got the entire reaction. This was my favorite as it caught the low sun and the horizon in that eye as well as the finest feathers right at the eyes lower edge. These owls have so many very fine feathers around the eyes. The sand still caught in this diggers right eye hints at why.

As always, thanks for your very valued comments. Keep them coming, please.

Lovely details and vibrant colours a very eye catching image. I would be tempted to lower the whites a little, there is good detail there I am just wondering if it could be enhanced a little? Also at the base I would be tempted to add a Burn layer - subtly I think it would help presentation.

This would habe been great with a head on view. But this one is still very nice. I like the light and that sweet green background.

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Originally Posted by Jonathan Ashton

Lovely details and vibrant colours a very eye catching image. I would be tempted to lower the whites a little, there is good detail there I am just wondering if it could be enhanced a little? Also at the base I would be tempted to add a Burn layer - subtly I think it would help presentation.

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Yes Jonathan, I had the same thought about the brightness even though exposure is spot on. We here in south Florida have had some very clear sunset skies this last week. You can see in the eye the sun was about to drop and still the golden light was intense(also the sharp shadow). I did pull highlights down one tick in DPP. What exactly do you mean by a base burn layer? As, always thanks for your valued critiques/advice.

David great details and color. Always like green and that Iris color just pops.TFS

Lovely light, low angle, and detail. The whites look a bit gray, so you might try to fix that.

It would have been nice to have more head turn to get more of that far eye, but the bigger issue is the big shadow. Sounds like you were squeezed between it and your own.

I am late to the party and have little to add to the previous comments.
My biggest bug-a-boo is the one eye is in shadow. I find that with owls you need to have both eyes to create a big impact. I am OK with seeing one eye only as a side portrait. Just something that bothers me about a partially seen eye.
I would be tempted to soften the vertical lines created by the OOF tree in the BG.
Gail