Say it - with real attitude!!!

[Steve Kaluski]

When 'Junior' isn't first inline to be fed, he voices his dismay with real attitude to the parents.

The vertical straw to the left is annoying, but as you have no indication where they will go, or can 'manicure' the scene, these hazards will occasional crop up and to remove it would be more problematic I feel, with the overhanging feathers, so I decided just left it in, for me it's more about the gesture of dismay.

Thanks for either viewing or commenting on the previous image.

Steve

Subject: Little Owlet (Athene noctua) demanding to be fed
Location: UK
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 500f/4 MKII plus 1.4 MKIII HH
Exposure: 1/2000s at f/9 ISO800
Original format: Portrait, cropped for presentation
Processed: LR6 2015 & PS CC2015

[William Dickson]

Hi Steve. Another fine image of your Little Owls. I like the colours of the straw bale blending with the BG colour. The facial expression on the bird is very cool indeed.

Will

[keith mitchell]

They can be nasty little devils Steve, see what you mean about the bit of straw but it sure is in a difficult place, does not bother me a lot and it is part of a natural scene, great IO as usual .

Keith.

[Karl Egressy]

Nice image, Steve. It could be my eyes or my monitor, but it appears to me that the straw in front of the bird is in focus.

[gail bisson]

Very nice expression on the owlet.
Excellent POV.
I like the comp (and could also see a version with a crop to the top of your signature) and agree with you about the vertical stem. I would clone it out if mine.
I would also be tempted to trim as much as possible the OOF branch behind owlet that intersects with the bird's right side.
I agree with Karl that the bird does not seem to be as sharply in focus as the straw in front of it.
Actually, the head looks fine but the body is what seems to be just out of DOF even though you were at F9.
Gail

[Steve Kaluski]

It could be my eyes or my monitor, but it appears to me that the straw in front of the bird is in focus.

Karl/Gail, I can assure you're the face is razor sharp, FP is bang on the eye.

I would clone it out if mine.

Your PP is better than mine Gail, to get a clean edge around the fine hairs is a tough job.

Cheers

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I could see a slightly looser crop. The right side is a bit tight for me,.
Wonderful gesture, looks like a cranky little owlet.
Sounds like you're having loads of fun with these owls.
Thanks for sharing.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Super shot wonderful details and textures. The stray bits of straw don't bother me one bit because they tell me the image hasn't been mucked about with.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Steve, love the attitude here, open beak, stare down at parent, and I like your placement in the frame. If you look at your 'vertical straw on the left' and look at the two vertical straws on the right, you have basically framed the little guy between the two sets.