Boreal Owl

[Shawn Zierman]

This image was made recently on the North Shore of Lake Superior (Minnesota side). Boreal owls "irrupted" in Northern Minnesota
this year. They could be found active and hunting during daylight hours. This bird was observed for a couple of hours, and during that
time, it slept, preened, and actively hunted. It was interesting to observe the bird go from resting, to actively alert during short durations
of time. Though I do feed live mice to owls, and do some "set-up" photography of owls that way, this owl (and the previous one I posted), were
not fed....The images were created more along the lines of "found" photography. Canon7d, Sigma50/500os, iso800, f8, 1/400, cropped,
selective NR applied to the background, selective USM to the owl and perch. Comments and critiques always welcome.
Regards,
Shawn Zierman.

[Karl Egressy]

Wonderful image, Shawn. It is very rare to find one like this in the open. I like everithing about this image, perch, bird, background, composition.

[Don Nelson]

Excllent IQ on this one. I like the perch - you could not have setup one better than the one you found.
I would have wished for a little more engagement of the eyes.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Shawn, amazing how he can perch so comfortablily on the end of that small piece of perch. Good detail on the owl, sharp, and I actually like the look in the eyes. Comp spot on, and well done for observing this subject as you did.

[Grace Scalzo]

Really great subject, naturally photographed makes it better imho. I think that a bit less perch would be an option.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Nice perch, good composition, lovely pose and detail Shawn. Well done.

[Sandy Witvoet]

Sweet. Love the perch w/lichen and "stuff"... complements the owl nicely ... excellent bg.

[Daniel Cadieux]

You were fortunate to see this fella way out in the open like this...I'm envious! I like the comp as is, nice BG, perch is OK too...especially the lichen on it. The owl's pose is neat, I just wish the light would have better lit the eyes, especially the one to our left. I saw and photographed my first ever of this species last month...unfortunately the place is now a zoo with a typical birder vs photographer feud going on...

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Excellent image. loved the composition, details and the bird. Must have been exciting. One thing that would have made it better would be a direct stare. Still....a terrific shot.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Excellent "find", Shawn. He chose a nice bg and a perfect lichen covered perch for you :)
The comp is just right and I like size in the frame. The grumpy look is priceless.

[Robert Holguin]

Excellent shot!!!
Great pose, I really like the perch, nice details, and great comp.
Well done.

[christopher galeski]

Beautiful image,great look,sharp good details,love that face,nice perch.

[David Salem]

Great find and nicely presented. Nice stare at you with that funny little face. Techs look great as dose the lichen covered perch. Very nice.

[Melissa Groo]

Beautiful portrait of this adorable owl, Shawn. I dig the perch, the background, and that cross eyed stare at you.

[Jim Crosswell]

Great image Shawn! I like the pose, interesting perch, sharpness, exposure and composition.