Florida Burrowing Owls

[Joseph Przybyla]

Here is Mr. and Mrs. Florida Burrowing Owl captured in southwest Florida. I will be heading down there again the first week of May for a few days. In anticipation, I have been looking at from two previous trips. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 VR AF-S ED shot at 300mm (450mm FFE)
1/400 F/8 Matrix Metering 0 EV ISO 320 AWB
Post processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC
Cropped for composition and presentation

[Bill Dix]

Great stares. I get the sense that they are a couple answering the door to a stranger's knock. Cape Coral?

[shane shacaluga]

haha like the grumpy stare at the front and the shocked stare at the back.

Both subjects are sharp and I like the grass framing them

TFS

[Michael Thompson]

Nice one! I like the eye contact. nice work getting both sharp!

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Joe, it's amazing how deep and saturated their eyes are compare to our Little owls which are much lighter/softer pale yellow. Good to see the hint of detail there too, rather than just the colour yellow.

Nice as Bill said, to have both of them looking to you. How much of a crop is this? If you added any Contrast, then backing off, will I think start to allow the finer detail to come through, but as I said, this is based on how much you have cropped? As you had it, I think going to f/11 may have help, however the BKG in turn would then become a bit more in focus.

[Jonathan Ashton]

A lovely shot - so appealing, I like the overall composition, exposure looks great.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Thanks everyone for viewing and commenting, very much appreciated.

Steve, here is a edit and repost with less contrast as you suggested. I think the tones are more in line with the Little Owls I see you post. This was about 75% of the full frame, easy to get close to them. If they show signs of being uncomfortable I back off, the birds control. No image is worth stressing them.

[Steve Kaluski]

Steve, here is a edit and repost with less contrast as you suggested.

Joe, you'll find I think that the whites & Contrast can be a balancing act, but the Contrast issue is not in the nikon Raws, but I think stems from PP.

I think the tones are more in line with the Little Owls I see you post.

Having never seen Burrowing Owls I cannot say, I wouldn't try match, but just try to reflect what you saw.

If they show signs of being uncomfortable I back off, the birds control. No image is worth stressing them.

Good fieldcraft, but more importantly respect to your subject. I just hate to see images when you know the 'photographer' is almost right on top of the bird!

Good luck in May.

Steve