Looking Forward to 2014

[Marina Scarr]

Received a call from a rehabber earlier this year to photograph a Screech Owl nest b/c the City was one day away from cutting the tree down. The tree was saved and 3 babies were saved and successfully fledged. This is the adult female at the nest cavity while her young are below. This cavity was eye level. I figured I'd try a unique crop for fun. I cropped where the cavity hit the owl.

Canon 1D4, Canon 70-200/F4 @ 185mm
F6.3, 1/400, ISO 640, manual mode
Fill flash @ about -1.6
Handheld


C & C always welcomed and much appreciated.

[John Robinson]

Thats what its all about. I am not in for unusual crops/arty stuff etc but this works well !!
One minor crit would be to tone down the dark area below the owl.
Interesting stuff though.
Cheers
JR

[Henry Domke]

Another fresh composition!
You have some of the most original work on this website. You are grounded in the craft and but push to create original work; you don't stay with safe formulas.
I need to do that more (but I'm still trying to learn the basics of the craft first).


On this image it would separate the bird from the background by brightening it and adding blue. Not sure if it fits with your taste, but I've attached my rework for you.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Awesome original composition, I like it. I like Henry's version even more. Well done and TFS.
Sanjeev

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Marina, a different take on what we normally see with owls.

Looking at the image, can you tell me where the Focus point was, it looks more to the beak? Personally I feel the FP needs to be bang on the eye as the is the focal point to me, having also more DOF would also I think helped. Henry's RP has brought more to the whites which has really helped and defined more the plumage areas. If it was me, I would remove the dark shadow area close to the subject, easy to do and would then reduce any areas of competition to the subject.

TFS
Steve

[gary ellwein]

A pleasing creative composition. I like Henry's modification.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I really like this compositioj Marina. Agreed about the focal point but the repost really seemed to sharpen the eye. Love the detail of the fine feathers

[Diane Miller]

This is very cool!! Something you would see in an ad campaign. Normally I would be saying conventional stuff about an alternative crop and the like. But here the owl's eye and its LOOK are so compelling that the crop is perfect, for me. With the proportion of the face shown, the negative space works really well.

I do agree on toning down the darker triangular area in the BG, just a little.

I'd love to see you explore more unusual stuff like this -- I think you have a gift for it, and backed up by the necessary technical skills!

[keith mitchell]

Hello Marina,apart from that dark patch that Steve as mentioned I would not change a thing, it's the sort of image that really rocks my boat,love it.

Keith
All the best for Christmas.

[Bill Dix]

Unique approach, Marina, and I like it. Maybe just a little too much "empty" space on the right for me, but I like the basic idea and wouldn't want to mess it up. Henry's repost addressed a bit of greenish look in the OP.

[Jim Crosswell]

Interesting and different image Marina! I like the composition, sharpness and details. I would blend in the triangle a bit and Henry's repost took care of a colour cast. Look forward to seeing more of your images in 2014.

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent image with really beautiful composition. Re post looks very nice.

Regards,
Satish.

[Barry Ekstrand]

Marina,

I really like this - it is an excellent composition and a truly great image. Congratulations on a wonderfully different approach.

Barry