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Thread: Little Owl VIII ( F )

  1. #1
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Default Little Owl VIII ( F )

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    Hi folks ... too excited to hold this back , the lady picked up a large grasshopper on the ground and luckily she decided to feed herself instead of the youngsters . Flew onto my perch and turned around .... I was a happy camper in that moment .
    Lovely warm evening light was illuminating the scene ... just wish her visible was more open . But for the swallowing process eye was either closed or partly open .


    Canon EOS R3
    RF 2,8 400 + 2x TC
    Monopod and Gimbal

    F 7,1 ; Iso 1600 ; 1/2000 sec

    Processed with DPP 4 and PSCC 2023 ; cropped to 80 % of FF . Clean up on perch

    Any thoughts and /or suggestions would be greatly appreciated . Wondering if this is looking like a " cut out " .... like Jon and Steve said lately to other postings of mine .

    Cheers Andreas

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Oh but you really got lucky here, Andreas! The grasshopper a big bonus and adds so much to this already lovely image... really like the raised foot, shape of the perch and smooth background.
    I certainly understand your excitement and super happy for you, this is a well composed and well exposed frame, sensible PP work, pleasing colours. Your best owl image to date, congratulations

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Brilliant. Well captured Andreas. Great pose, detail on the bird, and the prey adds so much, as does the raised foot. The BG looks good. And, what a difference a natural perch looks Nice work.

    Will

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Andreas, rare to catch them still and eating as they always tended to fly back to the nest with any form of food, similar to the KF's.

    Doesn't look C/O but the colour looks a bit 'yellow' but that might be the light, but it's masking others IMHO and based on photographing these guys. I'm assuming you put the perch there as it doesn't have a natural setting/environment to me.

    What's the white bits to the right of the tail on the bow, feed?

    My take based on the above.

    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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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Very good shot, lucky maybe but you had to be there .....and you got it! Looks good but on reflection it does look a little yellow - I must admit it probably would not have occured to me but once it was mentioned...
    I like the shot - well done.......I am pretty sure the grasshopper is a cricket - do you see the very long antenna - grasshoppers have short ones.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Good spot Jon, I just couldn’t put my finger on it, as our grasshoppers are much smaller and more Khaki, but perhaps they grown them bigger over there?? Not sure I’ve seen one in the UK???
    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 Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Thanks folks ... glad you like it .

    @ Jon ... The prey is no cricket what you are thinking it is a " Green Hay Horse " belonging to the family of grasshoppers !!! And is home here in my area , if you catch one the bite is quite painful for a grasshopper . I caught them as kid to feed my reptiles .

    @ Steve ... the perch is provided by me , as the " natural " perches on the property are quite ugly . The stuff on the right side of the tail is just dried moss ... Funny that you think Grasshoppers are smaller and just khaki , nope they can grow bigger and have green color . Thanks for the RP and your thoughts re color , but you are correct the light gave the nice yellow tone .... your RP is a touch too cold and it does loose the nice warm yellow sun light , IMHO. So I tried to keep the warmth in my posting . You have for sure cleaner colors and could be an alternative ...

    Cheers Andreas

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andreas Liedmann View Post
    Thanks folks ... glad you like it .

    @ Jon ... The prey is no cricket what you are thinking it is a " Green Hay Horse " belonging to the family of grasshoppers !!! And is home here in my area , if you catch one the bite is quite painful for a grasshopper . I caught them as kid to feed my reptiles .

    @ Steve ... the perch is provided by me , as the " natural " perches on the property are quite ugly . The stuff on the right side of the tail is just dried moss ... Funny that you think Grasshoppers are smaller and just khaki , nope they can grow bigger and have green color . Thanks for the RP and your thoughts re color , but you are correct the light gave the nice yellow tone .... your RP is a touch too cold and it does loose the nice warm yellow sun light , IMHO. So I tried to keep the warmth in my posting . You have for sure cleaner colors and could be an alternative ...

    Cheers Andreas
    Thanks Andreas, possibly somethings get lost in translation but from my point of view: (Could be we talk at cross purposes grasshopper/cricket/cricket grasshopper)

    Key Points:

    • The biggest difference between crickets and grasshoppers is size, with grasshoppers being the larger of the two. (I do note however that is a big son of a gun!)
    • Grasshoppers are active during the day. Crickets are active during the night.
    • Crickets have very long antennae usually as long as their body. Grasshoppers have short antennae.

    ( I don't know anything about locusts!!)

  9. #9
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Jon i am by far no insect specialist .... actually do not care that much about in terms of special interest for them , unless they are a food resource for various animals that I am looking or looked after in my job .

    Was just surprised that you folks think it is a " cricket " .... these " Green Hay Hoppers " are up to 10 cm in size .

    Here the scientific name : Tettigonia viridissima please find out yourself where they do belong to ...

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Steve ... the perch is provided by me , as the " natural " perches on the property are quite ugly
    Fine Andreas, but there is no context/links with the actual habitat/environment the owls are in, the image composition just looks like part of a branch/bow placed with a green backdrop. I know only too well how hard photographing these guys are on a farm and the 'perches' might be ugly, but at least it has some authentic value/merit, irrespective of being less than ideal.
    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 Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    How can you say that , without knowing the local environment ???!!!
    I could have found the perch on the property and just installed it close to ugly fence posts .... which I actually did with other pieces of wood .
    The BG is very often quite ugly at the location so I placed it ( depending on the day time ) to somewhere else for a better BG .

    But you might see it differently .... and do not see a connection to the habitat , which is quite difficult in a shot like this .

    Can't see any big difference to your latest WP image on that perch / environment front , to be honest . Or other perches provided by us photographers to direct the birds somehow for a better Image ....

    Just my take

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    How can you say that , without knowing the local environment ???!!!
    As I said Andreas, it has no link for me, it's a branch placed in a clean spot as per most images composed. If however it was shot wider, or with more inclusive habitat, ie OOF FG objects, a glimpse of hedge row, or bales of hay, perhaps a farm building, small in the BKG, then it all adds to the storytelling and interest to the shot and less clinical.

    At the end of the day, it's you call, I'm just trying to help in throwing in some suggestions to help for the future hopefully.

    Just my take.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  13. #13
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Thanks Steve .... and I am happy if a valid constructive critique is coming , exchange is always great !!!
    For me it is hopefully a ongoing project with them ....

    You are correct that this a clean image and I do like it as it does tell a story , LO eating a prey that she just caught . What I do not understand in that context .... what is the difference to your WP or your Goshawk , artificial setups with subjects tight in the frame ???!!! Showing nothing of the environment .... Nobody including me was asking where is the environmental context in your image , this leaves kind of puzzled ???!!! But I will ask you next time within your postings , just because I am interested in your thoughts about your own images .
    Things that you are asking for .... hay balls etc are not present at that location as it is basically a large garden with fences etc a old shag that was teared down . A large pile of wooden boards .... as I posted images of that folks were complaining about the ugly setting . So who to " please " .... a very funny situation , but I do like the most of my frames . They might not please all folks , at least it is great experience with truck loads of fun for me .... that is what its all about . A great story with three Owlets survived so far !!!

    At the end of the day I have to be happy ( as we all should ) .... I would agree . Please keep sharing your thoughts as it does make the forum interesting , albeit I might not agree with your thinking .

    There should be more discussion like this ....

    THX Andreas

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    Hi Andreas, I like the image and echo all the positive comments. 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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    Avian Moderator Brian Sump's Avatar
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    Andreas, this was really eye-catching for me.

    That grasshopper in the chopper is just really great, especially because there's so much in-plane here.

    Candidly, I am always torn with rich, early light photos in keeping the yellow or bringing it down. I can see your approach here certainly.

    With so many great things I'm tentative to make this recommendation, but I feel like losing some below and adding a little more above could enhance just a bit, subjectively.

    Have some envy and definitely makes me want to get back to shooting burrowing owls :-)

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  17. #16
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Very nicely done. On the side of the pond, we call those green things "katydids." Af far as the perch being natural, it is a lot more natural to me than a broken down tractor. I find the darker blotches in the. BKGR to be a bit distracting; perhaps wide open would have reduced their impact.

    with love, artie
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