I need your help here. This picture of a Great Gray Owl was taken during a snowstorm recently. I used Olympus E-30 + 300mm f2.8 and EC-20 (2x). PP was done in LR4, corrected a bluish cast, adjusted contrast, reduced highlight on the white below the chin and sharpened a little bit.
My question to you, how can I make the owl pop out more from the background here or is it just that the snowstorm was too intense. This photo looks too much like a painting to me no?
I would apply some contrast and remove the branch above the Owl's head and maybe the one below the Owl.
I think it is really nice, good close up look, I would also pull up the color a bit in the eyes.
What a lovely look at the stunning beast in his natural environment. I absolutely agree that removing the branch to the right of owl's head would be a great visual improvement. As is, this is a likeable painterly scene. And what ever could be wrong about a photograph that looks like a painting?
I tried doing a midtone contrast adjustment (USM at 20/50/0) and then a slight contrast boost with Curves and and added a tiny bit of output sharpening.
The branch to the left of owl is compositionally balancing, and it is my opinion that the picture looks much better with that branch left-in. Moreover, it offers a more realistic look at the owl's true environment. Removing that branch makes things look phony, doctored. As with all things artistic, this comes down to personal preference...me, I don't like the spick-and-span...except maybe when it comes to bathrooms, but even then. I like what Doug did in panel #3, just the right amount of contrast for me...
Last edited by Jack Breakfast; 01-12-2013 at 01:49 AM.
Great Gray
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