Portrait of the snowy owl

[arash_hazeghi]

This image is from 2012 during the snowy invasion in ocean shores, WA. It was cold and wet there. I hope you like this image




taken with 1D4 and 500 f/4 +1.4X. ISO 1000 f/5.6 at 1/1600sec. hand held. processed with DPP 4.6

[Glenn Pure]

What a stunner of a shot Arash. Fabulous eyes and brilliant clarity tones and colours. I love the perch and background too. Simply wonderful

[Tim Foltz]

Arash, classic pose, great environment, very nice.

-Tim

[John Mack]

Love those eyes and the direct stare very nice frame.

[Michael Thompson]

Love the eyes, the background and perch! We have been getting quite a few of these beauties in Minnesota the last few winters, but they seem to either be too far away, or perching on rooftops.

[gail bisson]

You sure got a lot of great snowie images that year- this one included.
Love the direct gaze and soft lighting and great IQ. I like the strip of blue at the top of the frame.
I am so hoping for another irruption year in 2018. Work prevented me from heading out west in 2012 but now that I am retired, nothing can hold me back!!
The pattern in the perch on the RHS looks like a faint imprint of a snowies's wing.What is it that I am seeing?
Gail

[Isaac Grant]

The perch and the direct stare are just great and fit in so well with those beautiful grasses. No clue how you managed to get so close to these birds. On the east coast they are typically very shy of people and flush often when you are hundreds of feet away although there is the odd bird here and there that allows closer approach. I find the image too muted and a bit flat. Also the perch looks a little to soft to me like too much NR was applied perhaps? Also don't see the same level of fine feather details that I am used to on your shots.

[arash_hazeghi]

thank you all, Gail that's just a nicely weathered perch!

Issac, there is no NR, the perch was wet from the heavy rain the night before and the feather details look great to my eye on my 4K NEC, in fact this is one of the most highly detailed snowy files I have myself and I have a 40" print in my room! The snowy owls have very soft feathers overall that looks like a pillow.

Thanks again

[Alex Becker]

Pretty darn sweet. Love that direct stare as well as the blue band but I really like the blowing reeds in the BG as that really sets the scene for me. Also like the visible feet. I've never seen one of these in person so echo Gail in hoping for an irruption year soon. TFS