Snowy Owl

Photographed on Long Island last month. I liked the setting and am wondering if you find the BG distracting.

http://www.pbase.com/axelhi/image/10...5/original.jpg

1D3, 500f4, 1.4x, 1/320s, f/8, EC +0.67, ISO 400

Axel:

I do find that the high contrast brown stripe overpowers the rest of the image. The upper background and foreground are nice, but the dark line breaks the image up and draws my attention from the subject.

I have really enjoyed the Snowy owl series.

Cheers

Randy Stout

I find the background very dramamatic looks like bursts of fire. I also like the intent look in the owls eyes as it looks straight down the barrel of your lens. Well done.
Ted

I agree in part that the brown stripe overpowers the rest of the picture, but the BG looks terrific! it even looks like a studio/sand storm BG.
About the bird, the eye contact is great as details.

This is probably my favorite of your snowy series. I love the BG, feels it adds to the habitat feel of this shot and the burgandy really compliments the colors of the bird and the rest of the image.

I don't find the background disturbing at all. Hey, the bird is there, you can't move it can you?

These are beautiful owls to have an opportunity to photograph. I like the shot.

While I don’t mind the background vegetation at first it was giving me headspins. It appears as if it were blown around by wind. It is a nice composition and the bird is placed in a good position. Looks like the whites were at the limit? Very nice eye contact.

I like the background (great contrast to the snowy) and love the eye contact. I might have taken a little of the left side.

For the most part I like it. I'm just not sure about the "bursts" near the top. Although very cool, my eyes do wander towards them and off the owl. I absolutely love the streak of vegetation behind the owl though, same for the foreground. Great low angle, and exposure is bang on.

Quite an elegant photo and bravo on getting the hypnotic stare. Can't really find anything that bothers me about the picture...excellent work.

Killer, Axel. Terrific stare and angle, the head turn couldn´t be better and the BG is really nice. Composition and exposure nailed. I would try to add a touch of increased saturation to the reddish plants beside the owl and the OOF tall grasses in the BG. Love it!

Axel, I think the background is rather nice. What is a nit however is the white on the owl-I can't say hot but definitely lacking detail-has a washed out look. For the owl itself, I'd say your previous posted owls are much better.

Great subject and great setting. I think however, that you could do a little more in the development of your negative to bring out tonal differences in the bright parts of the bird's plumage. You obviously worked hard to get a great negative, now show us a great development.