Staring Down !

[haseeb badar]

Hello Everyone !

This is my first posting in Avian Forum and I am looking forward to contribute as much as I can by following the spirit of BPN.

Location : Pench Madhya Pradesh , India.
Specie: Spotted Owlet.
Canon 5D MK III
Canon 300 mm f 2.8 IS II
SS : 1/2000, f /2.8,iso 4000
Bean Bag vehicles door .
Phoenix white light .
cropped for vertical composition , levels on BG,sharpened the subject , selective colour ,NR.

All your C & C 's are most welcome.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Welcome Haseeb and what a great first post!
Not easy at night, even with specialised techniques and flashguns.
Did well at the settings with the torchlight. I was thinking "why the vignette?", but that explains.
For composition, since the bird is upright and looking down, I'd be tempted to off center it more
and move it right and up. You could crop from the right side and the top to achieve a more
pleasing framing.

If you continue to engage in nocturnal photography, it's easier with proper flashes and a better beamer.
You still got a wonderful result with the dark edges pulling the viewer in to your gorgeous little owl.

Thanks for sharing.

[Tony Whitehead]

Welcome to Avia, Haseeb. Great post. I like the light which highlights the nocturnal habit. Flash is an option to explore but it is hard to avoid the obvious "flashed" and and a spotlight is a very viable alternative. I would try a crop from the top to raise the owl in the frame a little but I quite like the symmetrical composition with the symmetrical pose. Looking forward to more of your photos.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Haseeb, spreading your wings, great to see.

Perhaps the lighting is a bit strong for me, but saying that, it has created a rather nice effect, love the very subtle detail & patches of colour within the darker areas, conveys the scene well. I can see where Akos is going regarding an alternative crop, I'm OK with the central position, personally I might just move the whole crop down (perhaps say 3/4 inch) to emphasis more the looking down, but cropping can be very subjective. Great to see you pushing the ISO and the PP has moved up a gear, great.

I agree that a proper flash would be a good call, as you have a huge amount of control, however I would say you need to be careful when using a better Beamer IMHO, but always be respectful to the subject, which you are .

Look forward to more Haseeb.

TFS
Steve

[Steve Kaluski]

Seems our posts crossed Tony, but have similar thoughts.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

I really really like this one Haseeb. Great job with the lighting. Terrific bird - just love those eyes. Lovely work and looking forward to more.

[haseeb badar]

Thank you Akos ,Steve ,Tony and Sidharth .

tried to crop from the top and it real makes a much pleasing composition .

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Hasseb, a big welcome to the Avian forum, and hope you stick around by posting more excellent images as this one. I like how the Owlet pops from the night BG, lovely large eyes, and I feel the central placement works well, but would still have him higher in the frame. When Im comping verticals, I tend to have a touch less space on either side, so I could see a version as such.

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice, I like the pose, and the eye contact. you handled the low light situation nicely. the colors could go a bit warmer for my taste.

IMO this approach is better than flash + BB unless you use off camera flashes to avoid the "steel-eye" effect which could be tough to correct in post.