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Thread: Ice Fog at Sunset

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Default Ice Fog at Sunset

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    This is the same owl that I posted previously. I spent the afternoon watching her and prayed she would stick around for sunset.
    Sunset turned out to be glorious but even better was the ice fog that unexpectedly developed. Slowly crawled and walked on my knees to get closer to her.
    We did not spook her and she was still in the same spot when we left (always a good feeling when that happens!)
    This is tricky to process because I really wanted to show the ice fog. I do have an image with more almost no fog but would appreciate your opinions about this shot.
    Canon 1 DX, 600 mm
    ISO 800 F 8 @ 1/2500
    Small crop, Nothing added or cloned.
    I did not boost saturation or vibrance. Colors straight out of the camera.
    Comments an critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
    Gail

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    I love this canvas and that light but wish for a better HA. Love those distant trees for balance and the fog. TFS

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Dave,
    Do you prefer this HA? I posted the OP because I liked the rim lighting.

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    Quote Originally Posted by gail bisson View Post
    Dave,
    Do you prefer this HA? I posted the OP because I liked the rim lighting.
    Takes it over the top for me. As usual, just a beautiful canvas...

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    I prefer the second one for the eye contact which I think is critical in almost all Owl photos..
    The colors are terrific. I have a question on why f8? What DOF were you looking for in a scene like this?
    Dan Kearl

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Gail"

    I really like both of these and am very fond of "atmospheric" shots. For many birds, with a more distinctive face, I think the 1st would be my preference, the darker tones, esp. in the snow, adding a more ethereal look for me. The pose makes me think that the bird is looking out of frame for something , a sense of mystery. However, because owls have such a flattened facial disk, with no projections, and rather sunken eyes, it is harder to tell what direction it is looking, so the effect of them looking in direction is lost to a certain extent. This is a really long winded way of agreeing with Dan about needing to see the eyes.

    So I think #2 is more effective. The framing and added depth from the ghostly trees in the background are very nice in both.

    Randy

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    Lifetime Member Mike Poole's Avatar
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    I can see where yo were going with the first but I don't think the rim lighting is strong or defined enough on this occasion. Colours and frame are beautiful, but I agree the second is the stronger image, which is a stand out for me due to the overall environment

    Mike

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    I love the second image, Gail. Great advice offered already. I find the bird slightly soft in the second version, though. The first frame is sharp, so I wonder if the other image just needs some additional sharpening?

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Gail:

    I know you are a minimalist when it comes to image tweaking, but I couldn't resist using a bit of low level detail extractor on the face of the 2nd image, and it was interesting to add just a bit more detail around the eyes and face.

    Randy
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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Another beauty Gail....yes the 2nd for me as well. The colours are awesome. I like your crop. Excellent ...Did you get any bother with posterisation on the BG. When I get BG's like you have here, I seem to get it a quite a bit.

    Will

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Dan,-I was playing with different apertures from f 5.6 to F 10. The setting sun was just out of the LHS of frame and I really needed to reduce some of the incoming light from the left so I was underexposing on purpose. I wasn't too worried about DOF and BG because of the ice fog blurring everything out.
    Will- I seem to get posterization with deep greens and reds only. No real problem with yellows and oranges.

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Gail, the first thing I noticed was the rim lighting on the ice, showing up all the ice beads. The two tone BG works well, and the slightly OOF vegetation adds to the open space. Overall, well exposed under the the conditions, and I have to go with the second post showing the eye contact.

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    Love the mood and color on this one. Much prefer the second post with the owl looking directly at you.

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    Repost with the eyes is 1000% more engaging (i.e. better). You captured an incredible mood, and I applaud the effort to fiddle in-camera to get what you wanted!

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    Lifetime Member Colin Driscoll's Avatar
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    IMO, this a mood shot first and foremost, not a technical owl ID shot.
    And it works wonderfully in either shot posted. Beautiful.

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    Both shots are amazing to me, but I will also go with the second image. I love the colors and mood. The grass stalks in the BG add a lot. Just a lovely image. TFS

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