Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis), Miller Canyon, Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, USA, May. This is the Mexican subspecies that ranges as far north as Utah. The smaller male is on the left. In the canyons of the SW US these guys almost always sit in dappled sunlight which makes the images a challenge to process. Early in the morning and late in the evening, when the sun is not in the canyons, you end up with extremely slow shutter speeds and fairly dark backgrounds.
50D, 500, 1/160 sec; f/9; ISO 400, gitzo, Wimberely, 580EXII, better Beamer PP in CS6, saturation raised a bit, green color cast removed from owls.
It sounds like they are a difficult species to photograph Rick, the BG is busy but I do think the birds fit well on to it, and of course that is where they live, really enjoyed viewing this.
Regards Keith.
What an amazing capture of this pair, and you can really see the difference in size between the two. The BG doesn't throw me off b/c the owls stand out so well, esp against the green. I would like to see more sharpening esp in the owls' faces. I think the feather detail is there but they need to be enhanced a bit. I wonder whether you had red or steel eye here, and whether it might have been possible to leave a little bit of the reflection in the eyes to make them look a bit more natural.
I have no doubt this was a very difficult capture, and I applaud you for capturing this image.
It's fun to compare the size differences, and you did quite well for the very tough lighting conditions you had here. I'm OK with the setting too...a perfect look into a deciduous forest habitat.
A great capture of a hard-to-get species under tough conditions. And a pair with good head angles, to boot. I'd like to offer a suggestion to mitigate the tough lighting and background conditions, but I'm at a loss. It's a fine shot in any event. (Maybe a little less saturation of the BG?, or a little less contrast?? Maybe worth playing with.) Great find.
Spotted Owl pair
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