Burrowing Owl Floating in a Cloud

[Loi Nguyen]

Just spent a weekend at Salton Sea. The owls were not active I presume because it is too early in the season and they don't yet have chicks. There weren't many out and those who were out of their burrows weren't doing any hunting. I was lucky to find a couple who were out and in good light.

1DX
500f4 II
1/1250
f8
ISO-800
Handheld

The owl seems like an angle floating in a cloud to me!

Cropped slightly all around for comp
reduced exposure by -0.24Ev in LR5
30% luminosity mask
Increased black by +2 in CS6
Increased Green sautaion by +7
USM 120/0.3/0

Appreciate your comments. I played around with the Green BG, but at the end decided to just increase Saturation a tad.

Thank you

Loi

[keith mitchell]

Loi I really like the way this image almost fades away to nothing and the green BG at the top, and of course the Owl itself that is very good.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Loi, your patience is paying off, love the setting and two colour BKG.

The mush FG for me, it just works and makes it so simple and easy on the eye. Personally I would like a little less to the LHS and more to the right, but no deal breaker, I think he turned his head when you composed the shot. Nice detail overall. Depending on your ethics, I wonder if you lost the we bit of sand or rock creeping in within the mush LHS, it could be lost/blended in? Getting low and dirty is the way to go, great POV, just watch your kit. If that is sand blowing in, then you may want to look at a Lenscoat to cover/protect both lens & body.

TFS
Steve

[adrian dancy]

Excellent use of foreground to create blur bleeding into the owl. A very pleasing image.

[Bret Goddard]

You did very well, very well indeed.

[David Salem]

Very nice capture Loi. I like the pose and the detail in the feathers. The green BG makes it for me. What is that at the feet? Sand? or did you do that in PP? Nice work.

[Loi Nguyen]

Very nice capture Loi. I like the pose and the detail in the feathers. The green BG makes it for me. What is that at the feet? Sand? or did you do that in PP? Nice work.

Hi David, the stuff at the owl feet is OOF grass. I will post later an image taken at a shorter focal length that shows the habitat. It's quite remarkably different than an image shot with a 500mm. Thank you. Loi

[Karl Egressy]

Nice pose and the two color background looks nice. What I like the most is the bottom part with the covered feet.

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi Loi, your patience is paying off, love the setting and two colour BKG.

The mush FG for me, it just works and makes it so simple and easy on the eye. Personally I would like a little less to the LHS and more to the right, but no deal breaker, I think he turned his head when you composed the shot. Nice detail overall. Depending on your ethics, I wonder if you lost the we bit of sand or rock creeping in within the mush LHS, it could be lost/blended in? Getting low and dirty is the way to go, great POV, just watch your kit. If that is sand blowing in, then you may want to look at a Lenscoat to cover/protect both lens & body.

TFS
Steve

Steve, here is a crop with less on the LHS and more on the RHS. This is as much as I have on the RHS. I thought about cropping this way, but for some reason decided on the OP. Looks better this way I now agree. Also reduced the Black in the Green by -10 using Selective Color. I'm OK with a little bit of details in the mush, looks mysterious. Hope you like it better.

David, I have pictures with shorter focal length, but not the exact same perspective and I think the owl may have moved.

Loi

[Steve Kaluski]

Works for me Loi.