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Thread: Snowy

  1. #1
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Snowy

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    Taken with a very good buddy, Jamie Douglas. Sadly this year they were in far less numbers and a lot more skittish. This was quite a hairy location, slap bang in a Duck hunting location with shells going off left, right, & centre!!!! The wind was extreme, buffeting everything in it's path as there are no real windbreaks, likewise the light was poor, but the 1DX came up trumps!

    Steve
    Subject: Snowy owl in decaying drift wood (Bubo scandiacus)
    Location: Canada
    Camera: Canon 1DX
    Lens: 500f/4 plus 1.4x, Wimberley head & Gitzo tripodExposure: 1/3200s at f/6.3 ISO800 0 stop compensation
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Steve, a very nice image, well composed and shows the environs well. Techs Spot on as usual. TFS

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    Beautifully composed image Steve.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Steve:

    Sounds like really difficult shooting conditions! Hope the hunters were careful about what they were shooting!

    Strong sense of his environment on the drift wood. I might tinker with the luminosity of the brightest sky band. It tends to overpower the brightness of the subject a bit. Might try a ND effect there.

    Hope to see more from your outing.

    Cheers

    Randy
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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Thanks guys, it's always difficult when you step out of your comfort zone ie into Avian, but that's what's great because it builds your confidence and the advice is good.

    A little off putting I have to say, we didn't even know these guys were there, hiding in the tall grass untill a few ducks flew bye and the hunters let rip with a few shells, time to move, it was a tad too close!!!! You could well be right Randy, easily done in RAW, will take a look, thanks.
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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Randy, went back and tweaked the BKD with a combination of a Graduate & ND filter. Certainly an improvement, but wanted to retain a whitish band through the centre, looked too heavy with a gradated colour overall, I guess just personal preference.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    As a stand-alone image, I'd consider cropping to the top of the white band. Of course, use the whole image as originally posted for a magazine cover!!

    I'd love to get that close to one of these guys. Good work!

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Glad you had a good time with the Snowies. I've always liked images of this species perched on driftwood like this. I do prefer the repost, but in both images I am not super crazy about the piece skimming along above the owl's head...would you have been able to crouch down even lower to get the head to extend above that?

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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    This is quite a different take on a subject we have seen quite a bit of the last 2 winters. I really love the inclusion of the environmental elements. You chose your comp well. Like what you did to the sky in RP.
    Marina Scarr
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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Daniel, there were really only about 5 SO's on this day compared to over 20 last year and they were very wary of anyone approaching or moving, so choosing what your options we had were limited. As they would suddenly just fly off, but agree the 'beam' is not ideal and I would have preferred given the choice, a better POV. Rest assured there will be more to come, hopefully more in keeping but I'm not blown away as per last year, but hey, there is always next year.

    Thank Marina.
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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Steve, well exposed on the Snowy, with a good look back pose showing one of his lovely yellow eyes. I really like what you did in your repost.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Steve:

    I feel your repost helps keep the eye on the bird. I did think about the wood above the birds head that Daniel mentioned, but try not to pile on with too many concerns during my original comments.

    You might consider a version with that wood removed, just for educational reasons, to see if it makes a sig. difference.

    Cheers

    Randy

    I would have not moved around much either if someone was shooting near me.
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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Randy, never hold back, bring it on. Will breakout the chainsaw tomorrow and see what I can do.
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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Hi Steve you certainly get about don't you. I like the repost very much - good idea. After seeing the original my foirst reaction was to trim off some of the sky but the repost is by far a better idea.

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    I like the setting, pose, sharpness and composition. Repost looks better. Very well done Steve!

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    Wonderful shot.
    Love the pose and the habitat here.
    Exposed very well and great detail.
    Great repost.
    Well done.

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    Steve;
    Excellent image of this beautiful owl.Every thing has been said about this image.
    If you are not against cloning, I would love to see a version without a branch above the head and next to neck.
    Love the original post.

    Regards,
    Satish.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Taking on board the various comments here is a very quick retouched version, hopefully the chainsaw & secateurs had done their job. Happy to make the changes, but personally would not have gone as far as version 3.

    Appreciate ALL the feedback, cheers guys.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Steve;
    It looks wonderful, that horizontal branch was distracting me.(finally it is personal test).
    TFS.

    Regards,
    Satish.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Steve :

    I prefer the last repost. I like the treatment of the sky, almost makes me think of an aurora.

    The stick wouldn't have been such an issue if it hadn't been set against the sky, the contrast really made it stand out.

    Cheers

    Randy
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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Hello Steve-I love version 2, much more dramatic! Everything else has been already said, stunning image!

    Kind regards

    Gabriela

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