Great Gray Owl

[Jeff Nadler]

From previous years but this one not previously posted, having just done some newly acquired masking skills to tone down a bright background not really liked in the Raw capture. Canon 20D, 500mm F4 handheld, F5.6, ISO 400, IS-2, Ev metering, center Af. Having read that this species is currently being found in southeastern Ontario, it made me want to look over my images and post one. Background was very bright in upper left corner in Raw image.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Well, it ended up looking preety terrific to me, great pose and tight comp, lovely BG and detail. I would be tempted to tone down the whole image just a very little bit and I wonder how it would´ve looked with a horizontal framing. Still, congratulations on a great shot!

[Rene Quenneville]

Beautiful capture. I love the overall mood. The snow balances the picture well.

[Bob Malbon]

J, Of all of the Owl images posted here those eyes take the prize!! I think if you have more wing(s) I would try a landscape version. One more nit, I do not like the thin black outline in the presentation. But the image is a 9.99 because of those eyes!!!! Thanks for posting, Bob
Oh, before Art asks, was it baited?

[Jeff Nadler]

baiting=yes, as were many GGO images taken that year. The black outline can easily go away!

[Doug Hitchcox]

Love this image, especially the crop as is. Only nit from me would be to maybe warm up the underparts of the bird.

[Juan Aragonés]

The composition is fantastic (but I think it could be better with the bird placed a little bit higher in the frame) and I love the intense stare of the eyes. Superb BG by the way.

[Jim Fenton]

Jeff....

Can't comment on the color and the like as I'm on my less than spectacular work monitor.

I think that I would prefer this as a horizontal?

Also...it looks as though there is some steel eye going on in the left pupil (viewer right) due to flash which I would imagine can be cleaned up?

[Art Kornienko]

Thanks Bob, I was curious. Really nice focus and agree with those killer eyes, was there an opportunity for a horizontal crop on this shot?

[Jeff Nadler]

since I assume two images should not be posted here, here is a link to a landscape orientation version:

http://www.jnphoto.net/ggo-nn0040.jpg

[Doug Brown]

Terrific eyes on that beautiful bird. Another vote for a horizontal crop. BTW you can repost edited images in the same thread. I'll do it here for you Jeff. I prefer the second crop to the first.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Hmmm, not sure which works better but I like the vertical version very much.

Szimi

[Geurt Bloem]

Hmmm, lovely subject! I do prefer the second (horizontal cropped) version.