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Lifetime Member
Little Owl
One from a late evening session, didn't perch where I had hoped, hen ce the side lighting, but it does at ;least add interest with the difference in the eye colours and the variation in feather tones
Canon 1dx
500mm f4
ISO 6400
1/250th f8
Mike
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BPN Member
A very nice look at (and from) this little guy. Perch works fine for me. BG is lovely, although I might imagine just a tad more NR on it. (Opinions very as to silky smooth vs. a touch of texture.)
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Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
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Wildlife Moderator
Quite a nice shot Mike with good sharpness, but based on the plumage it appears to be slightly under exposed, even at ISO6400 it's a little coarse. I'm glad you kept the pale eyes and not saturated them. Background is pleasing, I assume this was from Denis's set up? A tad off the top wouldn't hurt.
Now back just started to process some of the last few weeks with mine.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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A lovely shot of the owl Mike, I don't mind the perch at all. Nice look to the camera and good details for the high ISO.
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Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
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BPN Member
Don't mind the side lighting at all as lighting is still very even across subject. Stare is great, and I like the highly detailed foot peeking out. I agree about losing some off the top, and I'd love to see a what additional color
saturation you can squeeze out as it lacks crack in that department now. But that's mostly personal preference as full-color saturation is my thing.....
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Lifetime Member

Originally Posted by
Steve Kaluski
Quite a nice shot Mike with good sharpness, but based on the plumage it appears to be slightly under exposed, even at ISO6400 it's a little coarse. I'm glad you kept the pale eyes and not saturated them. Background is pleasing, I assume this was from Denis's set up? A tad off the top wouldn't hurt.
Now back just started to process some of the last few weeks with mine.
TFS
Steve
Cheers Steve, I actually darkened the shot a tad to try and reflect the time of shooting. The shot was taken pretty much in the middle of the histogram, not far enough over to the right to be ideal but not underexposed in the traditional sense.
Not from Dens baited site, close by, where he was considering setting up with a relatively tame bird but never followed it through as it was too near where public could interfere. The bird liked to sit on some old rusted farm machinery so plonked a couple of stones down nearby as props.
Mike
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Lifetime Member

Originally Posted by
Dorian Anderson
Don't mind the side lighting at all as lighting is still very even across subject. Stare is great, and I like the highly detailed foot peeking out. I agree about losing some off the top, and I'd love to see a what additional color
saturation you can squeeze out as it lacks crack in that department now. But that's mostly personal preference as full-color saturation is my thing.....
Cheers Dorian, I didn't want to go too cartoonish, the light was getting dim as you can see by the techs. I did originally boost them more, then took down the opacity to this level. Horses for courses etc
thanks again
Mike
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BPN Member
Nice work Mike for the iso, I agree with a bit more saturation.
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Wildlife Moderator
The bird liked to sit on some old rusted farm machinery
OH yes Mike, I can vouch for that. You should have held on and waited for the MK3, with the activation of 'Mirrorless' they were within meters of me, too much lens at one point!!!
The shot was taken pretty much in the middle of the histogram, not far enough over to the right to be ideal but not underexposed in the traditional sense.
Then it's colour noise I'm seeing which you can address very easily and it should help the IQ.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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Lifetime Member

Originally Posted by
Steve Kaluski
OH yes Mike, I can vouch for that. You should have held on and waited for the MK3, with the activation of 'Mirrorless' they were within meters of me, too much lens at one point!!!
Then it's colour noise I'm seeing which you can address very easily and it should help the IQ.
I was tempted to get the 1dx3, but got a really good offer on a Nikon 600mmE, and as my underwater gear is a D500 it made good financial sense to make a total switch as there was no way I could afford the 1dx3 and a canon 600mm as well. Not totally convinced I went the right way as I've always like canon gear since I shot sport with the original film 1d but when every penny counts for me I had to go for the best deal possible.
What little I've used the Nikon gear for so far topside has impressed me, and with the COVID I've held off buying a D5 for now but one will make its way into the bag.
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Lovely image, Mike. No nits from me. The image reminds me of out Burrowing Owls here is southern Florida. Thank you for sharing.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
www.amazinglight.smugmug.com
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Lifetime Member
A sweet frame indeed. My first thought was that I would boost the saturation in the BG very slightly and take a bit off the top. Other than that, I love it!
Gail
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Really like these images of these little owls. Nice framing and background. Also like the rock perch.
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Super Moderator
You got some good eye contact and a nice perch. I would also not bump up the sat./temp here the owl's pupils are clearly dilated that tells us the light was really low, making it look like something else will look goofy to folks who have observed these birds before.
TFS
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Wildlife Moderator
I would also not bump up the sat./temp here the owl's pupils are clearly dilated that tells us the light was really low, making it look like something else will look goofy to folks who have observed these birds before.
Indeed it would Arash.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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BPN Member
Hi Mike .. lovely little owl . I do like the nicely separated subject and the perch is good , so is the " stare" upwards .
Personally I think some elements in PP are overdone , like color / contrast ( both just a little tempering down might help ) The eyes are looking a bit too sharp for my taste ... just my 2 cents .
TFS Andreas